


Aiden’s Guide of Reality’s Reboot Survival

by Corny_Tyrannosaurus



Series: Love Reel [4]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Consanguinamory, F/M, Gen, References to Monsterverse, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:48:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 40,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corny_Tyrannosaurus/pseuds/Corny_Tyrannosaurus
Summary: Aiden goes back to his old dear life, but he’s aware that some things are nothing like he remembers, and as he adapts to his new reality, strange foes are hunting for him… and his new chance for love.NOTE: The events of the story take place along "Dissaster Dinner" and "The Pines Parents"
Relationships: Aiden Zimmerman/Ellen Collins, Dipper Pines/Mabel Pines
Series: Love Reel [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549117
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Mason-Who-Is-Not-Mason

The night was cold and misty, as inviting to come to the most unnamable beasts in creation. The ball moon illuminated the huge, squared building, making it appear as some sort of postmodern, squared castle. The silence was astonishing and frightening; not even the crickets dared to emit a single sound, their tiny insect minds prey of an unexplainable fear. That place in night was usually devoid of a single soul (at least, since some unnamed ghost had been expelled a few weeks ago), so in theory, nothing should happen. Nothing at all; just a not-special night and a bunch of paranoid crickets. But then…

_Grgrgrgiaooorgh!!!!_

An eerily terrifying figure manifested, coming from the street. What looked like a girl of curly brown hair and bluish attires, but whose steps sounded like horse hooves, walked stern towards the big sign of the place, reading it in the darkness.

“Mhmm… so this is Piedmont High, eh? Nothing special” The girl in brown hair said. She looked at the building, and smiled. So many people were there every day, so many minds to feed their spawn. Even when its first attempt was a failure, that place seemed to promise a better result. “Maybe this would be a good place to make a good nest”

The being walked towards the grass of the outer place, and every cricket in the grass’s zone covered with its shadow jumped away in terror. They felt it; the otherworldliness, the taint of an impure being. The being bent over its human knees, took a cricket with its feminine hand, and stood straight. It smiled at the tiny creature, still struggling to get out of its mockery of hand, and launched towards its mouth, crunching the poor cricked between their grinning fake teeth. Then the being smiled, as its shadow shapeshifted, and a maw of tentacles were drawn over the grassy floor, scaring away even more crickets in the way.

“Ahhh… Time to work” The being said, and walked towards the place, stepping on the grass. Things were going to get _very_ interesting.


	2. A New Old Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With unsaid determination, Aiden Zimmerman welcomes a new day... or maybe not so new.

\- A lot of time before…

“BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP”

_Holy Friday, you’re here at last!_

Aiden opened his eyes, passed his hand across his face, heavily and between long breaths. He sat over the bed, and after turn off the alarm in his cell, not needing to see it, he looked around his room, and their usual details. He saw the postings stuck on some parts of his room; in his mirror, in the lamp and even one in his backpack. He was trustful that today he wasn’t going to forget any of them.

_Ok, today’s tips. You’re number 18 now, not six! You have to remember that. Don’ ask Dad under any circumstance about San Francisco. And please, try to not ask about Godzilla again; people gets touchy for that. Maybe Dipper; yes! He can know…_

Today, it was a curious set of feelings the ones inside his head. For one side, he was tired as heck, completely willing to trench himself inside his room the rest of the day and spend it in usual lonely activities of younglings of his age. The other side of him was practically running towards the cliff, as a sort of strange amusement to see which anomalies of his life were going to appear today; today, it was a very special day for him. He looked at the lamp aside his bed and took the coin that was along it. Then he launched it at the air, and caught it at half falling.

_It looks you’ll go outside today, Aids._

He smiled, stretched his arms, and jumped out of the bed. Today was going to be his day… or at least that was he wanted.

A quick shower, a fast clothes choice, and in less than twenty minutes, he was sitting on the living room’s table, eating his breakfast with his best push of enthusiasm. His father, as usual, was at the opposite side of the table, not daring to say a single word, not even to greet him when he came. His mother, having sat between them in a sober aim, limited herself to exchange some short asking to her son. Not the enough to be called a conversation, but Aiden recognized her efforts. He knew how cold and fierce she was almost all the time, and those brief words were the most tender she could be with anyone.

“So, how’s the week going?” She asked, as his father remained quiet.

“All fine, Mom. The coach said I’ve improved my speed, and I got an A+ in the History test” Aiden replied with his usual aidenian enthusiasm. His mother smiled at him, almost with nostalgia. Not because she wanted to answer some clever and meaningful thing back that could make him know she was listening, but for him it was enough.

“Good, good. So, all fine with the… gaps?” She asked with more serious, but equally attentive tune.

“Yep, all fine. Don’t worry” Aiden replied fast.

_Ok, ten minutes and Dad hasn’t speak a single word. Time to run, Aids; you know what’s coming._

“Oh! Look at the time! I have to go” Aiden spoke fast, taking his already void plate and glass and taking them to the kitchen. Then he approached to his mother, and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye Mom, have a nice day” He said before to walk away.

“Goodbye, Sweetie” his mother said back.

“Bye, Aiden, take care” His father said in a dishearten tone, almost by reflex.

“Bye, dad” Aiden said back, not by reflex at all.

He walked towards his van, and got inside. He took the key out of his jeans’ pocket, and started the car.

_Mirrors? Check. Fuel tank? Check. Total will to live this day… Check!_

“Brin’ it on, day! I’m coming”

Then, Aiden’s van went away, with all the vibes of his good will towards that special day…

First days after the rebirth of the universe had been… quite bewildering.

It began as little details in the daily life, as different names for his friends, or some unusual changes in the schedule; nothing to make a great deal about.

After that, he had still to struggle by his own agenda of emotional recovering, and his social circle trying to make him to talk about what happened with Mabel (Nothing he would do about, or nothing they would be useful for). The loss of Darlene, the knowing of the massive cosmic events that had almost wiped out the entire universe, and the memory of the twin’s lifeless bodies burning in a funerary pyre, were still fresh in his mind. How could he live a comfy normal life after all he had witnessed? How match his hearth with that anymore? At least, the world around him wasn’t completely unaware of such major forces. When he saw the videos of the Battle of San Francisco, The Doctor’s words came instantly to his mind. He could look at least, and feel some sort of strange comfort in the fact that he would not forget how big the world really was. And overall, he would not forget his lesson.

There were good things as well. With his memories of entire weeks of classes, his grades improved considerably; the enough not to worry about his tests, and to drive his efforts to things that needed his attention. And even with the anomalies, some things happened exactly as he remembered, so he could prevent some unwanted instances like that bad party night or go into detention. He could easily consider such life cheats as his reward from the Universe for save it. Aiden Zimmerman, the Universal Cheat Coder, that was a neat name he thought for his actual status quo.

And among the things he had and made him filled in fulfillment, there was also his newest self-imposed duty.

He could have easily remained silent about what he knew, and just skip the detail and move on. Definitely, that could have made his life easier and more comfortable… but he didn’t want to. He wanted to help Mabel. The girl he –despite all the cosmic madness he endured – still had feelings for, his best and most trustful friend.

He had a plenty of time to consider what he was to do about with that; the big shrimp in his cocktail of mixed feelings. And he came to the conclusion, that if she wasn’t meant to be with him, he could make himself sure she would be safe being happy with the boy she chose, he could make himself sure that he hadn’t to bury them again… even if the goddamn lucky boy she chose was her very own twin brother. There were days that the image of the twins’ dead bodies and the flares’ reflex in Cassie’s teary eyes still plagued his mind, and he had to shut his eyes down and swipe away that memory. So, he took the mantle, even if that sounded weird and awkward, he didn’t care anymore. He was going to be for them, and make himself sure they could be safe, so Cassie would go back into existence.

… Plus, after he finally managed to tell Dipper what he knew, he had at his disposal, a mighty power couple for every thing he would need. A very useful advantage in a world filled in gaps. 

Aiden finally reached the school, and as usual, he parked his van cautiously in his old reliable place among the school’s park yard fence. He came out from the van, took his backpack, looking at the cloudy sky with braveness and courage. Today, it was the day of the previous state of reality, in which he almost ruined everything; de day he met The Doctor.

_I’ll be a Doctor, Doctor. I promise._

He was about to make his first step towards the school, when he felt something curious, a feeling. His neck hairs arose, and his pupils dwarfed; he remembered where he last felt that sensation. Quickly, he turned around him, looking in every direction. The bottom of his mind remembered the sensation, and he could not dare to ignore it.

A fence, the bushes in front, and some cars, it was all he saw. He remained still a few seconds, waiting for something to jump above him, waiting, for the impossible.

_It… it could be…?_

But it looked that the impossible was for now still impossible. He sighed; probably it was just his own determination making tricks on his memories. He smiled, and resumed his walk.

_Today’s going to be a great day._

Little he knew, that something was really looking at him, Behind the street’s lamp post, there was someone looking at him as he walked away, someone who was waiting.

“hey there, old friend” He said as he looked with nostalgia.


	3. The Shards of Another Life

Much as Aiden had hoped, the day began without trouble. The classes passed almost as he remembered that day, his aims keeping high. Again it was noticed how he was suddenly happier than other days, and when he was asked, he simply answered cryptically about how much he loved Life. As it would be hoped, he made his last universal cheats about that day; he prevented Leigh from catch the twins by telling her that the first class had been cancelled (she was going to get pretty cranky about that later); he wasn’t sure how exactly the things happened this time, but a little of prevention wouldn’t hurt anyone, right? Later, he had the chance to make more points in his classes (He was deeply conscious about how lazy he had become about his classes and how hard was going to be to go back to his studying rhythm).

Until then everything looked fine. _Looked_. Something – he hasn’t yet unpuzzled – was troubling him, something that was fading away his aims as the day passed. Something didn’t taste like other days, something was way too earthy and mundane for him to enjoy. And then, before he could give account, he was at the lunch’s table, hearing without listening, the endless speech of Lance about something too trivial to follow the pace of his waves of endless worlds. His eyes were getting sleepy; since the lunch time began nothing was the enough interesting to keep himself awake. His head tilted a little, and his eyelashes began to feel very, veeeery heavy. With his head recharged over his fist on the table, he was almost going to hit his head against his lunch plate, when…

“Whuzaaa! Dip these photos are so neat!” Aiden heard from a far table. His eyes rolled into that direction, and he saw Dipper talking with one of his friends from the school press. The tick boy with cinnamon-like colored hair and a purple cap that was holding a batch of photos with an expression of great amusement. Aiden didn’t remember the name of the guy, but he knew by Dipper he was one of the editors of the school press. Aside him there was an Asiatic, tall boy with pointed hair, sharing the batch of photos, equally amused. Neither his name was known by Aiden, but he knew he was a fellow from the math club. They looked so… genuinely happy.

“Heh, thanks! Grunkle Ford borrowed me the camera. We won’t need the classic filters for a while” Dipper said, as his friends kept their eyes in the photos. But then Aiden noticed how Dipper was looking away with a warm smile at the distance. His eyes, still tired but alert, rolled in his sight’s direction. There was Mabel, walking towards him. She was wearing one of her favorite sweaters; the light green one with wide darker lines in it.

_I’ll have to tell him about the cute glances, they look so obvious._

“Mabel Pines! Nice to see you!” the tick boy told her, as she sat along them. Between her hands there was the figure of horrid creature that looked like a mash-up of discarded pieces of taxidermy, that she quickly put along the Asian guy’s plate. A total expression of grotesque mastery over the flesh, and totally Mabel’s style.

“Raaaaad Mabel!” The Asian guy replied, resisting his urges of touch the fur of the monster. It looked like a ball of messy dusty brown hair with goat-like hooves and a lot of grotesque mouths everywhere like open wounds. 

“Thanks, Dave” Mabel replied with pride “It’s my entry to the Art’s contest. Miss Carwraith told me she was going to present my job with an art college dean! Can you believe it?!” she inquired with amusement.

“Really?! That’s awesome Mabes! Congrats!!!” Dipper replied with unpaired happiness, hugging her tightly.

“I know, I know, I’m fabulous” Mabel “Hope to see what Mom and Dad will say…”

“Urgh! There goes the creep yelling again” A much closer voice interrupted Aiden’s gossip activities. Quickly he raised his head, seeing Leigh complaining about.

“Yeah, she’s pathetic. Having to sit along her brother” Sally replied. Aiden frowned. It was hard to have her away, due her previous friends (the people Aiden was sitting with now) were angry at her despite how much Aiden defended her. For the sake of appearances, both had agreed she would be fine hanging out with other people; she reassured he hadn’t to lose their mutual friends for her. Noble as it was, but now Aiden was pondering if was worth of it; every time they became ruder about her and less caring of his presence when she said such not-polite things. They knew he didn’t like to hear it, and now they weren’t holding their words anymore.

“I bet she f*cks her own brother” Leigh inquired in low voice to just after throw a not-so-low laugh, which everyone there followed. Aiden contained his fiery urges to yell at her to shut up; such attitudes would arise suspicions, and he was always careful about that when he referred Mabel.

_Oh right, just calm down a little before you tell her something back…_

But in the distraction, Mabel had already go for her lunch, and the growing line was forcing her to walk along her previous preferred table. Aiden decided the best he could do was to salute her nicely to show (again, if his friends really cared) he was fine with her, but in the way, she had to pass also along Leigh, and before he could give account, Leigh moved her leg out of the table’s perimeter, and just before Mabel could completely turn her head to say Hi to Aiden in her way, her leg hit Leighs, and her lunch’s plate flew away, Mabel falling over the floor.

The table’s group laughed, as Aiden, not yet deciding if he had to allow his rage to come out, quickly arose from the table and bent to help Mabel to lift from the cold floor.

“Oh god oh god oh god” Aiden repeated as he took Mabel’s shoulders.

“It’s ok, Aids, I’m ok” Mabel replied, taking her hand to her face. A familiar sent reached Aiden’s nostrils, the scent of blood.

‘Oh min, Mabel!” He heard Dipper .“Hough brink a napkin”

“here” the tick boy told, and Aiden saw how Dipper entered his vision field to give Mabel a napkin she quickly put over her nose.

“Oh gosh what the f*ck is wrong with you, Leigh?!” Aiden yelled at her, letting Mabel’s arms go.

“Woah woah Aiden, who the f*ck you believe you are to talk my girl like that?!” Lance yelled back, raising from the table.

“You saw what she did! Everyone did!” Aiden shouted. “Take Mabel to the nursery” Aiden addressed Dipper in serious tone. He nodded sternly, and he and the tick boy were about to turn around when Lance took Dipper’s shoulder and pushed him hard. Mabel, having a shoulder between Dipper’s hands, shook as well, and her napkin fell over the floor, leaving a tiny trace of blood.

That was too much.

“Let them alone!!!” Aiden yelled fiercely, raising his arm faster than the eye could see. Flashing images of the twin’s burning corpses flashed in Aiden’s mind, and he didn’t registered when his fist hit Lance’s chin.

The world around him looked like it was going slower, frame by frame seeing how Lance fell over the floor and hit his shoulder against the table’s long chair. His lungs inflated with powerful air, and his face turned red in killing instincts; Aiden’s body was prepared for a fight, a fight for them.

_Leave them alone…_

But then… the glances. The terrified glances Aiden felt over him. He looked around everywhere, and noticed how the whole place got silent. Lance laid in the floor, unconscious; Leigh turning around and getting out of the table to try to awake her boyfriend; the twins silently scared as the tick boy anticlimactically handled Mabel another napkin. He took the few seconds in which everything looked like paralyzed, in notice his own body. His chest was convulsing in heavy breaths, and tiny dots of sweat were falling from his forehead. He lowered his arms, astonished. He was going to get into a lot of trouble…

\- Later, that same night…

“What the f*ck were you thinking, Aiden?!!” His father yelled at him from the driver’s seat. Aiden remained silent, still processing what he did. Lance had to go to hospital; Aiden had given him a boxing champion-scale punch, and he didn’t even know he was that strong. Should he feel the pride he was feeling for that? Now was not the moment to think about it. “We were lucky this time, we only have to pay his hospital bill, but do you imagine what would had happened? You were _this close_ to get fired from the soccer team! This close!!!” His father shouted, making that thing with his hand that indicated Aiden he was for short to have a dreadful fate. “Why did you that?!”

_Oh mine this is so dumb…_

“I was defending Mabel, right?!” Aiden finally dared to yell back, crossings his arms and looking away.

“Oh, that’s true. You were defending your ex-girlfriend and almost lost your college offer, how gentleman you are!” His father replied with hurting irony. “Have a little of pride, holly sh*t!!”

“What do you wanted me to do?! Just sit and see how she stayed on the floor, bleeding?!” Aiden shouted louder, looking at his father, his blood boiling in anger. 

“Yes! Just that! And the next time son, I really hope you don’t pretend to be a f*cking hero, ok?!” His father yelled back, parking the car in the porch.

“This is… This is so dumb!” Aiden shouted, took off his seatbelt and opened the door of the car still moving, coming out of the porch, straight to the front door.

“Aiden!! Aiden come back!!” He heard his father’s angry yelling, but he didn’t reply.

Fast as a thunder, Aiden came inside, ran upstairs, and entered his room, slamming the door behind him and, still on his clothes, jumping over his bed, wrapping himself on his blankets.

Finally safe, in the warm of his personal sanctum. But then he heard the blurred yelling of their parents, and he knew perfectly that would endure for hours.

_Come on man, do it. It has been a long day._

He took his cellphone out of his pants’ pocket, and looked at the time. It was the time in which he remembered he ran away from his van into the streets of Oakland, several timelines ago.

_Oh my goodness…_

At last, he let his defeat tears to come out, and he began to cry. No matter how hard he tried, that one had become one of his worst days, again. His sobs were muted by the fabric of the blankets, but inside them, he could hear them stronger, and the feedback was unbearable.

_F*ck f*ck f*ck!!!…_

He had been taught the worst of his life at the same time in the worst way possible that he would imagine that moment, and a few seconds he wondered where he wanted to go back in first place, a long time ago inside the Never Castle. He took his head out of the blanket, and looked at the window. Away, very far away, surely the ruins of that place were scattered around a far star, peaceful and cold. Aiden wished to be there, to be far far away from all his supposed perfect life. Who would be there for him when his forces were low? Who would protect the protector?

Soon. Very soon, he was about to know it.


	4. A sad boy over a seat...

_Trees. Sunset. Reddened clouds. Shadows. Buildings… Very far buildings. Heh, that dumb plane above the skies. Moon – Why is there the moon in sunset?! I’ll never get it._

Classify. That was Aiden’s new hobby. Or, at least, his best effort to escape his own reality. Sitting on a high seat of the school’s soccer field, he was trying to make the most time possible before to have the need to go back home. “Home” he could remark, with gigantic quotation marks.

_Stars. Cold. Darkness. Sadness. Sadness…_

Finally, his preferred moment of the day. The moment in which the sky took that characteristic orange tones just before the coming of the night. He could now feel free, away from his now ex-friends, away from the need to look distant with Mabel, away from his nasty father and his cold mother; not to mention the coach, the team who sided with Lance and made him the Ice Law, and concretely his whole personal downfall. One moment changed everything; one single moment to put his life upside down. And this time, there were no Shifts left to change it.

_Please no._

His last cords of crude manliness were still trying to hold his tears, but, as everything else, that was losing sense too. Everything Aiden could do now is to still keeping his mind list until the alarm in his cellphone commands him to go back “home”. The worst way possible to spend the last day of semester before the summer, but his luck forwards didn’t see very promising anyway.

_Grass. Breeze. Mabel…. Mabel?_

There she was, walking thru the soccer field with solid steps, right into his direction. If he was still keeping in mind the color code of her behavior imprinted in her sweaters, she was coming to not go back soon. Bright Crimson; her best color for determination.

Aiden turned his head to see how Mabel walked upstairs and turned abruptly when she reached the top, walking towards him. He didn’t say Hi, neither her. She just sat at his left and recharged her elbows over her knees, giving a long, heavy sigh.

_Oh mine._

“it is a nice view” Mabel said gently but concerned, turning her head to see it. Aiden didn’t look at her, but smiled anyway.

“Yes, I like to see it. Where’s Dipper?” Aiden asked, finally turning his head to face his friend.

“We’re talking about Dipper; where do you think he is?” Mabel said back with a confident smile.

“… In the van waiting for you?” Aiden asked with unsure tone, rolling his eyes away.

“Dang, I owe him an ice cream” Mabel answered, turning her attention back to the bleeding horizon. Aiden chuckled, raised his elbow in pretended indignation.

“Now you’re betting about me?”

“it’s working to cheer you up?” Mabel asked, a little more serious.

“I won’t deny the results” Aiden answered.

“Awesome” Mabel said, giving him a slow punch in his shoulder.

Then, the uncomfortable silence. As Aiden could have expected, Mabel wasn’t pretending to know what she was doing, ironically working to open a little his long ago restrained emotions. Both sighed, almost at the same time, and finally Mabel decided to break the break time.

“We’re leaving tomorrow. I wanted to see you a last time”

“Why Dipper’s not here?” Aiden asked.

“Why do you think it?” Mabel asked back with a stern tune. Aiden puffed aloud, looking at the ground.

“You’re wasting your time, I can with this…”

“Aiden, please look at me” Mabel interrupted him. Aiden shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself to take the enough straightness to do it. He turned to face her, and what most hit him was her face of total concern.

“Ok. I see you” Aiden almost whispered. Mabel gulped, and looked at his eyes.

“Aiden… Do you still feeling something for me?” She asked with firmly voice.

Aiden didn’t say anything. His mind had no enough concentration to pretend or lie, and the seconds killed any chance to go back to a façade of careless amiability.

“Grrr! I knew it!” Mabel shouted furiously, raising her arms in exasperation and hitting her hands over her knees. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“What could that have done for me?! I – I didn’t want to mess up the things for you more than they’re already messed up with me!” Aiden shouted back.

“Aiden you lied to me, and made me think we were ok while we were making you to take care of a place you can’t have! How do you think I feel about?!”

“We _are_ ok, Mabel! I told you!…”

“Grrrrr!” Mabel groaned in frustration, to just after gasp and hit her forehead with her hand. “Aiden, this is not healthy. Look what you did and how it ended. You can’t tell me this deal hasn’t token its tool and make me to believe you”

Mabel looked away. Aiden could distinguish her glance of guilty, and with a very short margin of error, predicted her next painful movement.

“Aiden if… If you want to… to take a rest of us, we’ll get it. I mean – we can take care for ourselves, you don’t need to…”

“No” He interrupted her with trembling voice. Mabel looked at him, and she didn’t liked what she saw. It was the first time she had seen him to cry. “You’re the only friends I left, as weird as it is. We already almost never see in school, I wouldn’t bear to be _this_ alone. I… I think I get how you feel now” Aiden kept talking, looking at the sky as he chuckled. “This is just the tip of what you fear would happen if you’re discovered, and it feels so sh*tty!”

“You don’t have to look for us in this way –“

“I want to” Aiden interrupted her. There was this mixed face of sadness and joy Mabel knew perfectly. Even with the cons, Aiden was really committed with them, as much as he had been committed with everything that had failed to him; and he was sure that they weren’t going to fail him.

Aiden rose from the long seat, and stood majestically against the dying daylight.

“So what if Life hits me in this way? This is not how Life really is. This is just the result of a bunch of assholes keeping track in their own assholeness! Real Life is to keep forward no matter what, to be strong and wise and kind enough to buy another day in this Earth. That’s what you and Dipper taught me, and I’ll defend the ones who illuminated me and I love even if I must punch all the Lances on Earth to achieve it! I believe in this, and this… this is the only good thing I can see in my life. The rest is just… a golden jail” Aiden said. “You and him are the only things in my life that I see are going anywhere” he said, taking tenderly her shoulders.

“But… What about you?” Mabel asked, her incoming tears running over her cheeks. “Any idiot can be a hero”

“How lucky I am then for be _so_ idiot. I won’t pretend this is easy, that… cover the hints when they need to be covered is something I need. But if I can do something for this goddamn world I’ll take it”

Mabel smiled, making that same mixed expression he did previously. She stole him a fast, hard kiss in his cheek, and looked intensely at him.

“I’ll try to do something for you. I don’ know what or how, but I’ll do it” Mabel said to him, her lips trembling fiery.

“Well, Miss. Pines, I guess that’s what’s going to be about me, then” Aiden said, and Mabel gasped a chuckle. “Anyway, I’ll have a whole summer to get up, I’m kinda thinking in ways to spend the time. Get a work, train hard, search some –”

Mabel dragged him toward her, and hugged him as strong as only Mabel would do it.

“Take care, Aiden-Raven” Mabel said.

“I’ll do my best” Aiden replied as they untangled their hug. “Send pictures, that’ll keep me entertained”

“Sure! There’s a bunch of friends there we want to meet you” Mabel exclaimed, recovering her aims.

“And – please be careful this time with the photos, that last time it was much more Dipper than I wanted to see” Aiden said. Mabel blushed, scratching her cheek and looking away.

“Yeap. Sorry for that”

_Buzzzzz, Buzzzzz, Buzzz…._

“Oh! Look at the time! It’s time to go back home” Aiden said. There was a short pause, but not an uncomfortable one. It was the one of two old friends, keeping themselves in check.

“Bye, Aiden. We’ll see back at school” Mabel said.

“Have fun” Aiden said back. “If you don’t mind I’ll stay here a little longer, I want to think what I want to bring for dinner today” He said a he sat again.

“Sure. We’ll text you when we head Gravity Falls” Mabel said.

“I’ll be waiting” Aiden replied with better aims.

Mabel walked away, as Aiden stayed in the seat, watching the weak stars appearing on the sky. There it was, as it was every night, the Cassiopeia’s Constellation.

“I’ll be glad to receive you when you come here, Cassie” Aiden said, knowing no one would be hearing him… Or at least that was what he believed.

Far, below the field seats, someone was watching. The eerie presence was making the grass under his feet to shrink back to buds, as it looked at Aiden with his blank, void eyes.

“There you are again, Aiden” The young man said, still waiting for him…


	5. The Man with No History

Depression has an interesting consequence in people’s lives, beyond the capacity of the ones who have it to react, and beyond the capability of the ones who doesn’t have it to understand: The Margin of Reaction.

One who has the enough time dealing with it can easily understand it. The whole daily scheme turns out to be just too big to deal with it. One forgets things, one lefts things undone, or doesn’t make them in time. Without the due help, such misdeeds can drag recovering people back into the Slow Hell faster than the time they took to get out.

For Aiden, that meant his only relief for his mistakes was at the other side of a cellphone screen. For him, it was too late to have a summer job, too late for enroll in a summer camp, and too late for the breakfast. Sure, he would have chosen to go into vacation with their parents, but that messy choice (more now than ever) was going to take its tool in him more than he was feeling strong enough to recover. His father was prone to the biggest scandals out of nothing, and his mother to refuge in whine cups and long, loooong absences. So Aiden decided he just wanted to stay home, where no one would hurt him further, even if that meant to be completely alone.

Of course, he tried to hang out at some place, go to the beach, and even go on shopping (even if that meant to risk to see his ex-friends). But he was just so… tired to socialize for himself. What happened with the eagerly friendly and confident man he was once? The one who had this huge social agenda and never got bored? For him, never having been exposed to loneliness, it was a hell. He didn’t wanted to spend more money than the necessary, so when he discovered that go outside didn’t proportioned any kind of happiness, he stayed at home. Effectively, he had made himself prisoner of his own home.

However, that had a good side. Without their parents at home, this remained clean more time, and he only had to spend half an hour at week to maintain the big place free of dust, and another hour to clean the swimming pool. His physical needs and his training proportioned him his own quote of entertainment, but thinking it twice, and without warning he felt instantly pathetic for that. Soon his own house felt unbearably void, and he finally trenched himself in his room, only getting out to eat or clean or make exercise.

Officially, Aiden had become a summer hermit.

Luckily, his solitary routine was interrupted sporadically with messages from the twins. Mabel took photos and video of some of their adventures, and suddenly Aiden found himself every day with the thrill of what they were going to show.

So, day by day, Aiden built a picture of their summer there. He met Grenda and Marius, Candy, McGucket, Wendy, MultiBear, and Soos and Melody. He met Stan Jr., the newest member of the family, and saw with content some of the many days the twins spent taking care of him. He took his own time to share videochats with Candy, Grenda and Marius, to meet them better. Watching Candy to flirt with him via videochat was awkward, but cute in its own form.

It didn’t take much time before he dared to ask about Mabel about knitting and needlework, and a noon he found himself knitting a long green scar he wanted to wear during winter. Very hand skilled, as he never knew how really was. 

Some days he would text Dipper, who reluctantly asked him for advice, a thing he thought useful to approach him closer. Of course, that didn’t last much, when Mabel recognized what Aiden was doing, but the thing ended sweetly, as things tended to be between them. Then Aiden had a clever idea: ask for “What’s happening with the world”.

Aiden had never been eager for the supernatural, not even after his experience, but as many other positive things, that caught his attention. Soon Dipper was sending him extensive articles and notes about diverse science fields, the weirdness of Gravity Falls, the Titans, and other supernatural occurrences, and Aiden, already having survived aliens, a giant time baby, and the entire rewriting of reality, was now more than willing to learn.

Officially, Aiden had turned himself into a full time nerd.

And then the end of the summer became near, and Aiden looked at himself at the mirror one morning getting out of the shower. His more recurrent exercise had improved his body, his new interests had improved his insight about the world. And more important, even when they weren’t physically present, the two people he had committed himself to protect had in turn taken care about him, and that had improved his heart. Aiden caught himself smiling at the mirror, and his eyes got moisty. Yes, next semester was going to be hellish, but he felt now prepared to face it, he was now the enough strong. After all the failure, he had finally made the right choice. Now he was ready to get out. 

-

“…ROAAAAORR!!” Aiden heard the giant theropod’s roar coming from his cellphone. He was lying on his unmade bed with his legs recharged over the headset’s wall, wearing a black T-shirt and his brown jeans. 

“Everything ok?” Aiden asked, a quite worried.

“Yeah yeah nothing to be afraid of – Dipper the tree!!” Mabel yelled, and her sight became blurred for a moment in the camera. “hangin’ out – makin’ out – running’ out combo for the end of the summer. Say Hi, Dipster!” She said, moving the cellphone to face Dipper. He was driving the golf car, moving frantically the steering wheel.

“What’s up, Aids?!” Dipper asked, half casual, half struggling with the driving.

“Everything bored here, as usual. I see you two have fun” Aiden replied casually.

“Well – Goddammit! – Well I wouldn’t call it fun – Sh*t!!” Dipper swore as he dodged another tree. Aiden heard the twins’ continuous laughs when the camera got blurry again, and suddenly Mabel’s amused face was again on the screen. 

“I’ll have to hang up, Aids! See ya later!” Mabel said, taking her wrapping hook with her free hand.

“Bye Mabes, take care” Aiden said, and the videochat finished. Aiden’s cellphone fell over his chest along his hands, as he pondered some things.

_I’m taking this too easy? I mean, that’s really dangerous. Maybe I should tell them to be more care –_

His phone buzzed, and he turned it on to see. Mabel had send him a picture of an unconscious tyrannosaur with a lace wrapping its jaws. Aside the beast’s head, the twins were sharing a passionate kiss in a Kissing Sailor-like posture, with Mabel on the sailor’s place. Next, she wrote ‘WE’LL DISPOSE OF IT, KISSES KISSES BYE’.

_Oh, nevermind._

Aiden smiled with some weird kind of pride. How more awesome friends would he have, if they had just trapped a living dinosaur? He was sure that level of awesomeness couldn’t be outnumbered.

He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

_Ahhhh.. this is life. I can’t believe I thought this summer would suck. Well, I didn’t so many things, but I’m glad of how I am now… Mhmm, what are this feelings?_

Aiden tensed his face and opened his eyes, looking at his jeans; his physical needs were reclaiming his affection. He rose from bed, closed his room’s door (a little of paranoia in the verge of kinky feelings wouldn’t hurt anyone) and undressed, covering his body with his blanket. Then he took his cellphone, and began the awkward research.

_Nop. Nop. Not sexy at all. Eugh! That exists? No. Nop. Nop. This… I’m sure this is insulting Dipper and Mabel. Nop. No.. Mhmm, maybe later. Nop. Nop, Nop…_

Then, his eyebrows raised in interest; he had found something.

_Mhmm, that’s interesting._

Aiden clicked at the image, and was slipping his had under the blanket when…

_Bbbbbbbbbbbbzhhhhhhhhhprpprprprpr!!!….._

A hideous, otherworldly sound echoed across the four corners of his room. From the intersection between the roof, and the walls at his right side, veiny, black protrusions of malformed, unnourished tainting space began to sprout like ravenous roots of a hellish plant. An intense scent to burned hair filled the air of his room , as Aiden took his blanked and covered himself, filled in terror.

The blackness from which the inpure roots emerged pulped like a bloody tumor, and a shiny, glassy hand sprounted from the middle, followed by a body, which fell over the bedroom’s floor.

“Whaaaaa….”

Covered with a dusty grey coat, a formless body arose from the floor, and stood straight in front of the bed. Greyish, brown haired, of blank, lifeless eyes, the greyish young man of glassy skin stood magnificent in front of the terrified Aiden. His head turned to see him, as Aiden’s fright intensified.

“I salute you, Aiden Zimmerman” The young man said.

“… Connor?!” Aiden asked, darting his eyes. “Wha – What are you doing here?!”. The young man looked like he acknowledged Aiden’s distress, and tried to sound casual.

“Oh, sorry. I was… interrupting something?” the young man asked. Aiden wouldn’t see if his eyes were rolling around his room or not, but the trembling in the young man’s head gave him some hints.

“I – I – I…”

“Mhmm. I can perceive your pheromones in the air. Where you…?”

“Please! Don’t say it” Aiden interrupted him, turning red in shame.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of your own intimacy. For instance, I…”

“Oh God! Please no! You’re doing it just like Dipper and you’re awful as him with it!” Aiden groaned in frustration, covering his face with his hands. The young man lifted an eyebrow with stern confusion, and decided that maybe centuries away from any form of human contact had led him a little… distrained.

“Ok, chill out there; I’ll try to ignore the context, then” The young man reassured. Aiden uncovered his face, and thinking it twice, Connor wasn’t supposed to be able to do that.

“Hold a sec… Weren’t you supposed to go back into the timeline along Cassie?” Aiden asked. The young man looked away with a deep feeling of sadness, and Aiden did the math. “Oh…”

“To rebuild the timeline I had to put myself out of it. A needle can’t be part of the tapestry” The young man replied in defeat.

“Oh… Man I’m sorry, I –“

“It’s ok. It happened centuries ago for me. Besides, I’m not here for that” The young man interrupted him with a more calmed tone.

“Then you…”

“I know you remember. The previous state of Reality. Haven’t you wondered why you and no one else?”

“Wait a… That were you! You kept my memories intact” Aiden reassured. “Why?”. The young man remained silent for a moment, before to figure an answer.

“Since the downfall of the nefarious Bill Cipher, the nearby macroecosystem has recovered from his bait. But what happened with this universe… it needs someone to guard it. But I’m only one, and if something gets in, it surely can perceive the connection of the alterations with my parents. At first I just thought that you would be someone to warm if something strange happens, but then…” the young man responded, looking at the window “then I saw what you had done for them, and how they had taken care of you in turn, and I figured your bond with them is something more”

“Wait. Have you spied on me?! Even if I…”

“Do you think that if I was doing that I wouldn’t choose a better moment to make appear?” The young man asked with an raised eyebrow.

“…Mhm, true. Sorry” Aiden said, scratching his nape. “So, if I’m not only as a beacon then…”

“I just wanted to thank you for everything you had done, and make you to know that if you need aid with something you can summon me. Just be a little serious with the question, You’ll understand that my guard is required. Besides that can prevent this kind of… interruptions, you know”

“Sure! You can count on me” Aiden replied with friendly tone.

“here there are the instructions for the summon. We’ll see then” The young man said, letting a piece of rusted paper over the bed.

“Sure. Take care” Aiden said back.

The greyish young man then turned back, and crept over the pumping blackness in the wall, disappearing inside. The impure roots dwarfed and disappeared in the nothingness, and suddenly Aiden was alone in his room.

_Heck._

He took the piece of paper over the blankets, and began to read the instructions.

“Ok. I guess things are gonna get a little more interestin- What?!”


	6. Social Grass

First day of the new semester! A day to rejoice, to stretch away the laziness, to go for a new year of scholar progress, and exchange tales of past summer days. A day to welcome a new day as the wine bottle breaking against the ship of a new, shiny destiny… Unless you’re Aiden Zimmerman.

He didn’t know if it was the Autumn breeze, or the curious smell of his blanket during the morning that oddly triggered him back into his kinkier self, or maybe the news announcing the new monument dedicated to Godzilla that was going to be inaugurated in San Francisco. But a very strong instinct of self-preservation was warning him to not rise from the bed that day. Sure, he wasn’t going to listen it.

With his body soaked in new enthusiasm, he rose from bed, took a shower, dressed and breakfasted as fast as he could do it, and not even bothering in check where his parents were that morning they weren’t in the breakfast as usual, he turned on his car and drove fast towards the school.

The radio station apparently was sharing his enthusiasm; a curious mix of songs of his liking were being played as a sort of personal marathon. During a brief semaphore stop, Aiden noticed he was whistling the tunes of said songs; he didn’t even know that he was still knowing how to whistle. Every moment, every shape of the day was welcoming him back into the world, and he wasn’t willing to waste it.

Finally, he reached the parking lot, went out of his car, and walked towards the entrance. Almost like a rock star, Aiden pushed both doors as he made himself get in inside the corridors, walking in a triumphant stance. People around him, knowing him or not (And not know one of the main players of the soccer team was an oddity for itself) caught instantly his aims, like if those were letting a trail of happiness behind him. Girls blushed, boys chuckled, and Aiden… Aiden was only letting himself go.

It looked like his early morning worries just fade away; this was going to be his day, the Day of Aiden… until he reached his locker.

His happiness disappeared like a rooting tomato in fast camera, as his backpack slipped across his left arm almost hitting the floor.

There were several rude words written in several different ways in several pieces of paper of several colors. ‘LOSER’, ‘CREEP’, ‘BASTARD’, ‘WACKY HAIR’, and ‘SUCKER’ were common trends, written in big letters. The gossip whispers of his nearby students suddenly became clear, and a wrecking ball of disappointment fell over his consciousness. After all, he wasn’t prepared for this.

“Ohm what the – “ He heard Dipper half-swearing, coming from his, and his hands appeared in front of the locker’s room, ripping apart the nasty messages, as Aiden just stood there, not daring to look at him. A pair of feminine arms attached to pink yarn-covered arms accompanied the dismantlement, and in less than 5 seconds, the bunch of menaces in paper was reduced to two undifferentiated balls coming thru the nearest trash can. But the damage in his locker was even greater than that.

A deep scar (surely marked with some sort of pointy thing) crossed diagonally the door. Now the thing had passed from harassment to property damage, and Aiden’s mind, discarding for a moment the meaning of such insult, drove himself in the stomach-punching feeling of his father having to come to Principal’s office again.

_Oh my god oh my god oh my god…_

“Aiden?” Mabel’s voice interrupted his rail to maddening terror. Aiden turned his head to see her, and almost at the moment her glance was hit by his fright’s feedback.

“Oh yeah, I – “He began to say, when he was interrupted by a non-requested but definitively needed mabelous hug. “Hey, it’s ok. I’m a mere mortal now” Aiden said, returning the hug.

“Where we are? In the nineties?” Mabel’s cracked voice hit his ears.

“Well, I’m friend of my ex-girlfriend. I’d rather consider it” Aiden said back with a humorous tune. Then he raised his head, and caught Dipper standing awkwardly at scarce feet from them. “Com’ here, Man. I know you want one too” Aiden said to him, inviting him with a raising hand.

“Well – I had a lot of these during –“ He began to stammer, when Aiden’s strong arm dragged him inside the friendly hug. Aiden shifted, hugging each one of the twins between his strong arms, squishing them friendly. “Hold on, when did you become that strong?” Dipper asked, caught out of guard.

“You had a loooot of time to make exercise when you’re an hermit, Dipdop” Aiden said back, rubbing his head playfully.

“So, you’re better now?” Mabel asked with a happier tone, rolling her eyes to see him.

“As I’ll ever be. Now, what’s the first step of this heck-of-a-school-year?”…

**_Step 1: Test the waters_ **

As much as it couldn’t be know who exactly had attacked his locker, Aiden’s worries about his status quo faded away. The first two days he made his best to ignore his previous group’s efforts to tease him; he had become very good at that, now that he had a lot more to think about. He found himself with the fact that his new fondness for sciences had great advantages over his study schedule. His notes were going to be on the roof much easier than he expected.

A nerd for the world.

**_Step 2: New friends…_ **

The new schedule of the classes meant that he hadn’t to spend so much time within the same classes as his ex-friends, but that meant also that he had to make new ones for himself. And if the third day had left him very clear, he was going to struggle a little with that. Luckily, wasn’t precisely alone with his efforts…

“… Hough?” Dipper called for his friend, who was looking at Aiden like the weird exhibition of a museum. Hough turned his head quickly and pretended to not be blushing too intense.

“What’s up, Dip?” he asked very casually.

“Oh, Com’ on Houghy-chubby, he has the entire week sitting along us” Mabel teased him with a darting eye.

“Wha – Hey! It’s just still being weird to see him with us, that’s all” Hough defended himself.

“Is there a…” Aiden began to ask, feeling the tiny but painful dots of rejection coming to him.

“No no no! I didn’t say that, man. It’s just… you know, this is new” Hough quickly corrected. “Sorry, Aiden”

“It’s Ok, I know I see quite like the wrong piece on a puzzle” Aiden reassured, biting his sandwich.

“Not that wrong. If Dave works out a little he’ll look just like you” Kathy inquired, as Dave turned his head with a dismissive glance.

“Hey, I’m doing my best, babe” Dave appointed.

“Oh you, I’m just teasing you” Kathy dismissed. “Com’ here you tall guy” She said, and both shared a fast kiss.

“Heh, that’s something you have to blush at, Hough” Mabel appointed comically, pointing at them with her thumb. “I see you dorks had a very funny summer” She inquired, winking at them.

“I guess we have to thank you” Kathy said. “If you hadn’t reunited us our summer could’ve been all boring” She appointed, resting her head over Dave’s shoulder.

“You’re welcome, Katave. Another satisfied couple made by the Maxim Matchmaker” Mabel said victoriously with a raspy voice, hitting her breast with a fist.

“I wonder why you don’t use your power in your brother or in yourself, Mabes” Hough asked. “I mean, if Aiden’s here that means you’re comfortable with the idea, and all of us know your rush for boys, it’s weird that suddenly stopped. Any summer love you hide from your friends?” Hough questioned with a raising an eyebrow.

Aiden caught the first fractions of seconds of the blushing in Dipper and Mabel’s cheeks; it was his signal to act.

_How can they hide a whole world of weirdness and cannot hide this?!_

“ – She’s helping me!” Aiden shouted at the first second. The twins’ faces instantly turned to see him, caught by surprise.

“I do?” Mabel asked. She felt the kick in her leg, and she instantly recognized the façade. “ – Oh, yeah! I do!” She rushed an answer. “I’m matchmakin’ Aiden!”

“Really? With who?” Kathy asked in curiosity. Mabel’s world stopped sudden, as she figured a quick answer in the few fractions of second she just stammered incoherently.

_Oh come on Mabel! Think in someone. Jenny Rivers? No! too serious. Angie Patterson? No, that girl’s not the enough serious. Leigh?! Eugh! Why I am looking at her?!…_

Finally, an innocent victim for her façade was found, standing in the food court’s line.

“ – Ellen Collins!” Mabel shouted, her nervousness fading away. “Yep, Ellen Collins, our dear press director”

Dipper eyes widened in her direction, as he slapped his face in his mind, she had just picked the worst possible option.

“Wait, wasn’t that one the girl you stole her bike from?” Dave asked in confusion.

“Yeah, I remember the prom! She made an scandal” Hough inquired with greater confusion. Mabel just looked away in distress, figuring a not-so-worse answer.

“Yeaaaaaaah well, is just that Aiden’s madly in love with her and a professional matchmaker like me needs a challenge often” Mabel appointed as she waved her hand. Aiden blushed in terror; he had passed from be a recovering pariah, to the most recent decoy to hide the twins’ secret romance even for simple anecdote.

_What?!!!_

“Woah, Aiden, I didn’t knew you like Latinas” Hough teased him in a friendly aim.

“It is not a matter of liking, Hough. When it hits you it hits you. If I told you what I’ve seen…” Aiden began to divagate, when he saw Dipper’s eyes of dissimulated fright. “ – Bu – But that’s another story!” He corrected himself with a nervous smile.

“Well, it’ll be funny to see how you pull this off, Mabes. That girl hates you” Dave inquired in middle of a brief chuckle.

“A challenge I said!” Mabel proclaimed triumphantly, going back into pretention.

_Oh boy. I had been just matchmaked!…_

Aiden tried his best effort to hide his terror at the situation. Mabel’s fame in matchmaking matters was unquestionable, so he hadn’t a way to escape this… But maybe, as all the weird good things that came before, that wasn’t a bad thing. A date could be a good closure to the beginning of the new semester… If he figured how Mabel was going to pull that off.


	7. The Migthy Matchin' Matchmakers

\- Some days later…

_Oh right, then I do this – No. Wow, but what about – Nop. Come oooon girl! Pick up some non-suicidal strategy!_

Mabel took her heart-shaped glasses off and put them over her room’s floor In which she was sitting, passing her hand over her face in frustration. No matter how hard she tried, any approximation to Ellen from her side was deemed as a total disaster. Ellen Collins; a serious, naïve girl with an intense personality and a focused instinct for practical topics, but a secret playful side, and a liking for handsome guys. Nothing wrong for Mabel to handle, except she for the fact that Ellen hated her intensely.

It wasn’t entirely about the bike’s stealing as much as it was due a series of unfortunate accidents that were triggered by her own anger, if Mabel could still defend her… unfortunate involvement in such accidents.

Ellen was among the last ones in go from the prom (as she had the habit to gather the data from his press comrades to the after-event gazette of important scholar occurrences), so when she came to the parking lot, the ones who could have warned her about who stole her bike were already gone, and suddenly she was alone in an empty parking lot in the midnight cold with nothing more than a sleeveless dress and no one to pick her up. Sure, Mabel had left a note where she put her bike, but the wind had already taken it away. Just when she was about to call her parents her cellphone slipped out from her hands and crashed against the floor. Resigned to go home walking, half square out of the school she was found by Hough, whose father had to park his car due a pitched tire.

Until then nothing too unfortunate. Hough’s father gladly accepted to take her back home, and Hough handled her his cellphone so she would call her parents… Until in a more unfortunate coincidence, her bag fell from her arm in the precise moment Hough’s father put the pitched tire on the floor, breaking the contents. She could wave off to all the photos of the prom, her expensive make-up set, and the prom’s notes stained by it. Her next week was going to be all to compile amateur photos from her fellow students.

Passing the weekend, that morning she had to use the school bus; luckily her house was on route. Not-so-lucky when she sat over the improvised breakfast of a fellow student which had woke up late, so she had to bear with the shame of wear a purple-stained blue jeans the whole day as she wandered about a lot of classrooms to gather photos. But worse things were coming ahead.

Finally, she reached the school, and her intuition urged her to pass for the parking lot, just in case the best scenario would happen, when she saw Dipper Pines taking her beloved bike out of his car, friendly arguing something with his twin sister and Ellen’s Chemistry fellow, Mabel.

Mabel’s joy turned into fearful seriousness when she saw Ellen approach her in contained fury. Dipper handled her sister the bike so she would apologize when Ellen came to reclaim it, but in the middle of the stammered apology, Mabel scratched her nape and in that movement she let the bike go, straight into Miss. Carwraith’s car path…

No photos, no bike, condemned to the biggest of embarrassments; until then Ellen was still capable to handle it. But then, during the Chemistry’s class, Mabel offered her to pay for the bike in the middle of Mr. Crocker’s explanation. Ellen tried to listen both things as she put her safety mask, and in an automatic movement she put the wrong reactive inside the flask… and she would now wave off to her lab coat, her backpack (with the notes of the entire semester), and the front half of her hair.

Yeah, the next of Ellen’s movements was a full display of anger.

Dipper was still on school press that semester, so Mabel knew perfectly how much Ellen Collins hasn’t yet forgiven her. 

_I’m so screwed!_

“Knock, knock” She heard Dipper calling behind her dorm’s door.

“Get in” Mabel replied in serious tone

Dipper pepped out his head behind the opening door, looking at her sister on the floor. “Dad’s going for pizza, he asks which topping do you… Woah” He exclaimed, as he got inside the room. “Is that our school?” Dipper asked, pointing at the very detailed model she had in front of her.

“Yep” Mabel answered in a simple word, not looking at him. Dipper walked around her, smiling at the complexity of the details. Inside there were also models of their classmates, including a pair of familiar models inside a heart-shaped ring.

“Woah, Mabes. This is… Very well-done, is that Dave?” Dipper asked, putting on knees in the opposite side of the school’s model.

“Dipstick, when you ask about what’s a model when its creator already knows, is an insult” She replied with unusual seriousness, still not looking at him.

“Sorry, I was being cautious” Dipper said, rubbing his nap. “Wait, all the thing about matchmaking Aiden is going serious?”

“Yep. He asked me to do it” She replied, still not looking at Dipper.

“So he reaaally likes her?” Dipper asked in confusion.

“No, but he thought a date would be fine for him, he says she’s cute” Mabel appointed. Dipper detected her inability to solve it, so he made the question.

“Sooo, how’s going?”

Mabel groaned in frustration, covering her eyes with her hands for a moment. “I can’t do this Dipper! She hates me so much I can’t go close three feet without her to go mad and tackle me like a friggin’ ram! I’ll have to figure something” Mabel expressed her undesirable situation.

“Yeah, I had to talk her about that” Dipper answered. “Are you sure you don’t want to give up with it? I don’t want you to risk too much and I’m sure Aiden will understand…” Dipper asked, looking away.

“I can’t” Mabel replied, taking her Matchmakin’ Album from her left side. “If I succeed this would help me to make paces with Ellen, and… I really feel this would help Aiden… And I’m an expert with that!” She appointed with a better aim, as she opened it to slip across the pages. “Soos and Melody,” she mentioned, looking at the weeding’s photo before to go to the next pages “Robbie and Tambry, Miss. Carwraith and Miss. Loumiere, Dave and Kathy, the T-Rexes, and…” she kept saying, as she slipped the page to contemplate her most appreciated entry with a tender glance “… us”.

“Heh, I don’t remember to have solicited your services” Dipper tried to joke. Mabel caressed the photo of them, chosen purposely from all the others.

“It’s a reminder. Of how much I must trust my instincts” Mabel said back with a slow, sadder voice. “if I had listened them instead to try to deny what I knew I felt I… I could have prevented all the pain I caused you”

There was a pause, neither of them saying anything. In their minds, that argument he had was still fresh, and the bygone days were still heaving over their hearts. But then Mabel felt her brother’s hand on her cheek, and she rose her head. There was him, looking at her with a level of tenderness only he could achieve.

“I don’t blame you, Mabes. What’s between us is… a kinda messed up situation anyway. I really doubt any off us saw It coming. If you feel you need to do this, you can count on me” Dipper said, resting his hand over his knee.

“Thanks, Dip” Mabel replied with a widening smile “you’re the best bro-friend” she said. Then she went back to her serious tone, and looked at the model. “Buuuuut that doesn’t still helping”

A bulb lit on Dipper’s head; he had a brilliant idea. “How about… some… help in the field?” He asked.

Mabel’s smile went back, bigger than before, as she took her chin with her fists and squealed in utter joy.

“Oh my Goood! Wait a sec!” Mabel shouted, and got her hand below the bed, moving some unseen things that made various noises, as Dipper looked at her with a glance of curious expectation. Finally Mabel took her hand from below her bed, with a pair of blue heart-shaped pair of glasses. “I’ve been reserving this ones for this for such special occasion” She said, giving them to him. Dipper took the pair of glasses, and put them in front of him.

“I see… that you have been storing them a lot, they don’t fit me well” Dipper complained.

“Hush ya, you’ve always had had an enormous head” Mabel dismissed.

“Ok, ok, let’s not talk about my enormous head” Dipper said back and looked at the model, when both heard the incoming voice of their father accompanied by a growing steps.

“… Dipper I told you to… Ehm?” Aaron asked, as he peeped out his head behind the door with a frown of confussion. "Oh right, what's going on here?

“Matchmakin’ matters, my dear father” Mabel said, turning to see him as she upheld her glasses in a fancy way.

“Ok… Usually I would tell you to not involve in other people’s affairs” Aaron began to say with a dismissive glance “but is always fun to assist those weddings. I won’t interrupt you” He finished, looking away with a fond glance. “I have to ask, pumpkin. Hawaiian or Italian?”

“Italian, Dad. Today’s Scheming Day” Mabel replied, making her best Marlon Brando falsetto.

“Ok, keep scheming, then. I’ll say you when I’m back” Aaron said, disappearing behind the door. But just a second later he came back. "And Mabel, please contemplate to get rid off some of your models you have on the attic, I almost step on your model of Dinosaur Forest. Why do you need it anyway?”

“Well, ehmm… I wanted to try it! We have a Dino-Week in Gravity Falls!” Mabel quickly answered. Try to explain to him her whole civic plan of breeding program of zombie-eating tyrannosauruses wasn’t going to be easy with her skeptical father.

“Ok, I’ll be back soon” Aaron finally said, disappearing behind the door.

“Ok, why do you still keeping that?” Dipper asked with a chuckle.

“Fiiiiine, I’ll need some help riding off some things. But first, our Catchy Name” She replied with a darting voice.

“Our what?”

“You know, Dip-bro! Our Catchy Name, if we’re going to be a super-duper-almighty-team-trademark we’ll need a Catchy Name to attract investors!” She explained with enthusiasm.

“Mhmm, true. What about The Love Patrol?”

“Mhmm, Nah! Too seventienous” Mabel dismissed. “Some more like The Community” She suggested with a raspy tone.

“That sounds like if we’re supervillains, Mabes” Dipper dismissed.

“Aren’t we?” She said back with a flirtatious tone.

“We’re trying to matchmaking, we’re supposed to be the good guys” Dipper said, pretending seriousness.

“Oh right, oh right. We’re the good guys. Mhmm gotya! The Mighty Marchin’ Matchmakers!” She shouted, extending her hands at the air like if she was showing an imaginary sign.

“Excelent” Dipper approved. “Now, where do we begin with this?”

“Well, I was thinking that…”


	8. Ellen Collins

School Press, Piedmont High School. The next day…

The brownish girl in green sweater was giving rounds in her very well done mockery of office, her even more brown curly hair dancing at the rhythm of her steps. The freckles over her cheeks pronounced the micro expressions she made at every word she said; Dipper couldn’t hear what she was saying behind her office’s glass, but it was obvious she was recording something.

_Ok, I can do this._

Luckily, she wasn’t paying too much attention to notice that Dipper was just standing there waiting for her to finish her recording, and it was early enough for just be them there. How odds had dragged him there? He only could do suggestions.

Sure, he would dismiss the whole situation and encourage Mabel to resolve it in any other possible way but… there was also a tiny dot of guilt in him. Completely ignorant about the true affairs of Aiden that made him to change his heart so fast (definitively too fast) for a normal person, Dipper would only make theories. Based in his last out bursting, Mabel’s request to face him about that alone, and his whole depressive spiral, he was sure that have to watch how her long-term friend and ex-girlfriend suddenly broke up with him and engaged in romantic affairs with her own twin brother wasn’t something easy to deal with. And, himself having been participant of a long period of silent suffering, he couldn’t trust him the enough to not worry about him. After all they endured together, Aiden had became his friend, the only one in the entire world which he trusted his most intimate, dangerous and important secret. Furthermore, he had ruined his whole social life just for protect them from a classic bully; Dipper wasn’t going to be satisfied until he would make something as brave as that for him.

Of course, Ellen Collins was maybe too much; any other girl easily would fit and spare him from have to do that, but he knew that Mabel hadn’t chosen her randomly, and he trusted her.

_Here we go._

Ellen sat over her chair, in the middle of putting her earphones, when she heard four knocks coming from her office’s doors. Quickly she put her earphones back inside her pocket, and looked at the door.

“Pass” She said serious, but gentle. Dipper opened the door, and her glance turned confuse. “Dipper?”. With no more time to lose, Dipper sat in the chair on the opposite side of Ellen’s desk, and put his hands over the table. Ellen frowned; a really big mosquito bite him today.

“Oh right, I’ll go to the point. Ellen I need your help” Dipper pronounced, pretending to be serious.

“… Ok, with what?” Ellen asked, darting her eyes.

“I… Oh, the heck, I don’t know how to make this” Dipper told as he recharged on his seat; he was as bad as he expected doing this.

“Well, then do it as if I’m not here” Ellen said with a brief smile, for a moment rolling her eyes around.

“Ok, ok, but you’ll not like it” Dipper admitted, as he recharged his elbows over the desk. “Aiden wants to have a date with you”

Ellen’s face got serious for a moment, and a brief blush covered her cheeks. Completely unexpected, and heart-racing… until she made the math and her amusement disappeared as fast as it came.

“Pass” She said with no remorse or content, stood and walked out of her office. Dipper quickly followed her, until he reached her getting out the press room.

“No, wait wait wait, let me explain…” Dipper tried to reassure, putting in her way. Ellen stopped her walk, and looked at him with seriousness.

“Dipper, I know what you’re trying to do. This is just another of Mabel’s schemes and I won’t wait for this one to blown up on my face, I’m sorry –“ She said as she tried to dodge him, but he moved in front of her again.

“Please, just listen to me. I – I won’t pretend I’m sure about what I’m doing right now, but I can tell you that Mabel didn’t want all that happened to you to happen. And you know me! I’m an awful liar, you know it’s true”

“Or she lied to you” Ellen said back.

“Believe me, I know why she stole your bike, she didn’t lie to me” Dipper reassured.

“Why then?”

“Well… It was… nothing important” Dipper pretended to answer.

“Aaaand that’s the awful liar, move on Dipper –“

“It was a family thing we have to fix, an urgent thing” Dipper finally said, closing his eyes. Blurry, as it had to be, but convincing anyway.

“Aaaaand why I’m knowing it until now?” Ellen said back.

“Well, you weren’t precisely willing to talk about that and I believed I would simply let it go, I mean,… you were pretty angry”

“Yeah, I remember” Ellen said, less serious this time.

“A-and Mabel knew if she or Aiden could try to approach to you, you would immediately reject them, so here I am, standing for him” Dipper answered, extending his arms in defeat.

“Ok, you’re really a creep. I can only imagine how weird and irresponsible you are for ask a date for a guy who’s not brave enough to ask me directly, but…” Ellen began to say, rubbing her arm.

“But…?” Dipper asked hopefully.

“Buuuuuut I know what Aiden passed for and of course I would reject him just for be Mabel’s friend… Erghh! This is really happening? I mean – He’s her ex, you, her _brother_ , are basically offering me _her_ ex, that’s kind of the weirdest thing someone had told me” Ellen appointed.

“That’s how weird I am, and sincerely I don’t care anymore” Dipper answered with some sort of enthusiasm.

“You… you’re doing all of this for him, don’t you?” Ellen asked.

“Kinda, and also for Mabel. I really miss her visits here” Dipper appointed, rubbing his nap. “She wants to make the paces with you, even go back to be friends, just like before” He reassured. “I know you won’t forgive her so easily but hey, what kind of person tries so desperately to make amends?”

“… A very nice person” Ellen said back, looking away with a slight glance of guilt. “You the Pines are really loyal, aren’t you?”

“As you wouldn’t ever imagine” Dipper replied, smiling with hope aims. Ellen scratched her forehead, and looked back at him.

“Weeeeell, he’s a handsome guy, very handsome” She said “and casually I have the weekend free so… let’s do this: I date him, and you let me to post the pterodactyl’s photo you got from your trip to Oregon. Monsters are on trend these days, this would be huge” Ellen said.

“That’s a high price, Ellen” Dipper reassured.

“You’re asking me for trust the girl who _casually_ ruined an entire month of my life, I think is worth of it” She replied, extending her hand to him. “So, we have a deal?”

Dipper sighed aloud. Even when the risk was minimal, he knew how sensitive that kind of news were in the aftermath of Godzilla’s uncovering. If he attracted unwanted attention, Grunkle Ford would be very, very mad at him.

_Why I didn’t check that friggin’ roll first?!_

“Deal” Dipper answered, taking her hand. “But if we end with Monarch at our door, you’ll handle it for yourself” Dipper said with friendly tone.

“And if the date ends in disaster I’ll put my Yautja mask and I’ll chase Mabel across the entire school” Ellen said back with the same aims.

“Heh, you like _Predator_ movies?” Dipper asked in a chuckle.

“Hey, you’re not the only talented nerd in this place…”


	9. The First Date

\- Zimmerman Residence, that Saturday at noon…

_Teeth? Check. Clothes? Check. My chilling and completely irresistible behavior?… Mhm, maybe that is still on maintenance, it will work._

Aiden made a last checking of his appearance, adjusting his clothes so he would look nicer, but at the same time more comfortable. Next, he took a stain of hair wax between his fingers and began to mold his hair. In his mind there was again this old, forgotten song he wouldn’t (or minded) to take away from his head. Humming at the rhythm of said song, he shaped his hair in the usual pointy way, taking care of not lose a single hair.

_Oh yeah, I am a hot boy! Mhm, it’s funny, it would sound weird if I say it aloud… Wait. This looks…_

Aiden stopped at the act of the glance of his own face at the bathroom’s mirror. He didn’t need it, nor requested nor reminded himself about that, but the paper notes on his locker became instantly readable in his mind again. His hands slowly lowered, his hair not totally pointed yet.

_… Do I look… stupid?_

Nervousness? A depressive relapse? Intrusive thoughts? He couldn’t think what that was. But he felt something wrinkling in his chest. It was the first time since he came back from summer that he dared to use that hairstyle. He remembered well; Mabel had pointed out that a couple of times, and he knew why. For him, his hair was a signal of his emotional state, and no matter how much he had recovered from his downfall, a tiny spot of his heart was still hurting. A part of him was constantly sad; ignorable most of time, but now, that moment he ignored it the enough to take back some of his old self, it felt more intense than ever; thorny, if he could describe more appropriately.

“Busy?” His mother’s voice awoke him. Of course, the bathroom’s door was opened.

“Eh…? No, just a little… nervous. Do I look well with my hair pointed?” Aiden asked, looking at his mother thru the mirror’s reflex.

“Do you feel comfy with your pointy hair?” She asked back. Aiden sighed, recharging his hands over the handwash’s frames.

“I really don’t know anymore” Aiden said in defeat. His mother rolled her eyes away for a moment in an almost indistinguishable expression of guilt; she had waited for him to recover from the loss of his entire social circle for himself. At first instance she thought it as something he should endure to become stronger… but now she was feeling stupid for do such thing. It was time to be the most lovely possible again.

“Well” She began to speak, taking her son’s shoulders between her hands “I think you look pretty neat in this actual middle state. You should keep it for tonight and check if you like it”. She looked at the mirror as well, smiling with pride.

“Thanks, Mom” Aiden replied with a feeble smile.

“Come on, son; time to pick the girl” She said, kissing his son in the right cheek…

\- A couple hours later…

_Why I am doing this why I am doing this Why I am doing this Why am I doing this…_

Ellen was sitting over the table’s chair, inside the buffet she had chosen for the date, staring at the door with a serious glance and an everything but helpful mantra on her mind. She had chosen for clothes her deep-green shirt, her blue jeans and her black jacket which was strung up in her chair. Thinking twice, her shirt let visible the straps of her black sleeveless shirt, and that became excessively suggestive in her mind.

_Why I chose this?! I look like a… You and your stupid hormones, girl! Everything was going so well, I didn’t need a date with a guy! Goddamn hot guy!…_

Suddenly she became aware that she was making little movements over her chair, like a jailed elephant in fast camera. In the act, she stopped.

_Oh right, oh right! Remember what Mom and Dad said: Don’t ask for good things to come to you, they will come. Hey! Maybe he’s even neat! It’s not like just for being Mabel’s friend he will be a bad guy, I mean if I’m here I’m convincing myself Mabel’s not a bad person…_

The inner negotiations were going well… until she saw Aiden coming in thru the doors with a single flower in his hand, a dark-red rose.

_I’m so f*cked!_

Ellen raised her hand so he saw where she was sitting, and he instantly caught her. Dodging the obstacles in his way, he quickly reached his chair and sat there, making his best pretension of confidence. A very good one, but Ellen was accustomed to see behind the glances, and instantly acknowledged he was as nervous as she was.

_Oh da f*ck with this!…_

“Aiden” She interrupted whatever he was about to say, still with the rose in hands; she was going to break the unspoken rule of don’t talk about your inner conflicts during the first date. “I’m nervous, ok?” She reassured, recharging her elbows over the table and making a claw-like pose with her hands “I am friggingly nervous and you’re a _hot_ boy and I never expected someone like you would eeeever be interested on me, right? And I can bet you’re equally nervous because you want to make a good impression, furthermore because you know what happened between Mabel and me, which I can say, I’m not in good terms with her _yet_. SO, for the sake of spare us from a bunch of awkwardness none of us needs in our lives right now, I can assure you that none of us is the least hungry for obvious reasons, and I suggest we would go maybe to a place where we can feel more comfy meeting each other. What do you think?”

Blushed, almost out of breath, Ellen stared at him with a determinate glance, trying to hold the negative thoughts about what she just did the most possible, for the sake of make a good reading of Aiden’s immediate reaction. He just stared at her for a second, and the mental dam just broke in silence.

_Oh my god I just screwed everything what the holy f*ck goddamit…!_

“Ok, let’s do that” Aiden answered at the next second, his blushing increasing as a serious smile drew over his face. _‘straight to the point’_ , just as Mabel had promised, and Aiden wouldn’t feel more glad for that; happy, relieved, maybe a little… aroused?! He didn’t mind. He rose from the chair and extended his hand at Ellen to help her to rise from the chair. “I brought my van; you can put your bike inside” Aiden said, holding his deep breaths his best. Ellen smiled with immense relief; the guy had just accepted with no hesitation such declaration of mixed feelings. Now he looked way different in her eyes.

“Breathe a little, hot boy” Ellen said, taking his hand “or you’ll blow up”

Their glances met, and both chuckled, to just after run out of the buffet in the middle of loud laughs that attracted more than one confused look from the buffet’s customers. None of them cared the least…

\- Oakland, an hour later…

Confident to his dramatic style, Aiden had picked the same bank in the same park in which he was almost eaten several timelines ago, and he had a very good reason for it. It was there, at the verge of disaster, where his mind and heart began to become wider, so how better place to begin a new stage on his life?

Ellen liked the place, having commented that the sounds of the breeze through the winds brought her peace. It was not as close as she would like from her home, but she was at least sure that Aiden wasn’t any psycho. In fact, he was much more friendly and open-minded that she expected. And, more important to her, he wasn’t afraid of talk about himself, he wasn’t trying to impress her; not anymore at least. Every time one blushed, the other could appoint it with no fear nor pressure. Eventually, that turned into a kind of game for them.

So there they were, sitting on said bank in the dark of the night, illuminated only with the lamp post, meeting each other.

“… Damn. But then how did you fix your hair before it grew again?” Aiden asked.

“Mom’s a stylist, she helped me while my hair grew back. It was a nice style but I really don’t like how I see with that one. You know, I like the free-style” She replied, moving her hair with her hands.

“I like it too” He complimented. Ellen blushed, uncovering her ear.

“Thanks” She replied merrily.

“Hey, I thought we would be more confident, is that a blush what I see?” He friendly teased her.

“Oh hush you Mr. 23 Blushings” She said back, faking a punch on his shoulders.

“Well.., Damn I hadn’t the count of yours” Aiden tried to reply, taking his chin.

“it’s ok, I’m accustomed to make counts on things, I can’t just shut down my mind” Ellen said.

“That’s indeed a good thing, you know? Sometimes… sometimes you loss things from sight” Aiden said back, looking away with a serious glance. Ellen wasn’t completely sure about what he was feeling less happy, but she had suggestions.

“Are you… thinking about what happened with Mabel?” Ellen asked. Aiden rolled his eyes to face her, and Ellen freaked out. “.. Oh sh*t sorry, I hadn’t to ask –“

“It’s fine, it’s fine” Aiden quickly dodged her embarrassment, turning to face her with his hands raised “I’m not angry nor resented for that. Heh, do you think I would ask for her help if I was?”

“I guess not…” Ellen said back with a smile.

“You want to ask about that, don’t you?” Aiden asked, putting his hands over his knees.

“Wha –? No! I mean –“ Ellen freaked out, try to dodge an answer in turn.

“You can ask. I’m not afraid to answer” Aiden said with a calmed voice. “Anyway we’re meeting each other, if you feel you need to know, you can know” He exclaimed with confident aims. 

“I guess. As far as I know you’re a very good friend of both, you take care a lot of them… And I see they care a lot of you in turn! Look where we are!” Ellen exclaimed with merry aims.

“Yep, we’re sort of a team. I owe them a lot I guess, they took care of me when I was left alone by that bunch of assholes which I used to hang out with. I’m sure I could’ve left the soccer team if not for them”

“Wow, it was that serious?”

“Yep, it was that serious. How ironic, isn’t it?” He appointed with a brief chuckle.

“So aren’t you… angry at her in any way. I mean’ I know that’s on the past but… I was there. There were photos before… well, before I lost them. I don’t wanna say that you were wrong but… how did you forgive her so… quickly?”

“I… I know why she did it; it was something she had to do, and was the right choice. Sometimes you’re not the right one to fix everything, somethings there are no right options; but anyway you still have to choose” He answered with a more serious tone, but not losing his friendly aims.

“Mhmm. Dipper told me she had a family thing to do when she ran away, what it has to do with break up you? I don’t get it” Ellen asked, a little confused. Aiden froze in place; definitively know what Dipper told her to convince her for assist the date would’ve been useful.

_Goddamnit, Dipper!…_

“… Would you spare me for keep a single secret?” He said, looking her at the eyes. “I – I made a promise I can’t break”

“I get it, don’t worry” Ellen said back. “Anyway, whatever that is, it brought me to you, it can’t be _that_ bad” She reassured, as the impulse in the atmosphere made them to get their faces closer, wide-eye glancing one each other, as their eyelids felt quite heavier each moment.

_Certainly isn’t, Ellen, certainly isn’t…_

And then, in the worst possible moment, both stomachs growled at the same time, and both opened their eyes at the same time, at scarce inches of a first kiss.

\- _Oh, dammit…_

\- _Da f*cking sh*t!_

“O my god I swear that wasn’t a fart –“ Ellen began to stammer in utter embarassement, moving away from Aiden. Aiden just laughed aloud, hitting his hand against his forehead as he closed his eyes within the laugh. Ellen blushed and frowned, containing her words “Hey! It is not funny!”

Aiden’s laughs increased, as he cleaned his eyes from the hilarious tears. “Chill out, Ellen” He said as his laughs decreased “I recognize hunger growling when I heard it. Some of that fanfare was mine indeed. You wanna eat now?” He asked in a friendly aim.

“I guess my tummy already answered that. Do you think we’ll find something at this time?” Ellen asked, recovering her confidence.

_Oh gosh that was so close!!!…_

“I know of a place, but we’ll have to go back to Piedmont. Do you think you can stay longer? It is a little late”

“Hey, I’m a press leader; Time’s not my boss” Ellen replied with a brave tone.

“Rad” Aiden said back…

\- Pines Residence, midnight…

_“The future is on the past! Onwards Aoshima!!!!!!”…_

_Bzzzz! Bzzz!_

Mabel opened her eyes wide, dragging her face out of the pillow, as he took her cellphone with a hand and rubbed her eyes and took her hair away with the other, trying to focus in the blinding screen as she turned on her decive.

_Oh mine, who would be at this time of night. Hehe, maybe Dip-bro wants another round of… What?_

It was an Ellen’s message. An odd thing, because she had blocked her during the madness, and now she was suddenly messaging her.

_Oh no. That wouldn’t go that bad… or it would?!_

“TOMORROW. IN MY LOCKER. COME EARLY. EL.” Mabel read with a growing glance of worry in her face.

_Aaaaaaaaah heck…_


	10. The Truce

Piedmont High School. Sunday at morning….

Mabel remembered perfectly where Ellen’s locker was. Until almost a year ago, she used to visit that specific locker. She and Ellen were at some point almost close friends; for Ellen it was a fond to have a person to broke her usual sternness with genuine joy and friendliness, and for Mabel it was nice to have someone to keep her grounded without judge her quirkiness when Dipper wasn’t around.

But then the series of unfortunate events occurred, and if there was someone who bothered Mabel beyond the sole fact of someone not being in good terms with her, it was the hurt of having lost a friend in the nothingness. If only she could have done something to show her that all of that was just a destiny’s mockery, or at least something to repair the damage…

And now it looked like she had just screwed things for her. Again.

Walking across the empty corridors, Mabel struggled to drive herself to Ellen’s locker. Being both chiefs of a school’s club, they had the extra advantage of have the permission to get inside the school without much problem during weekends. A shame Dipper used that card to not get in along her. At least, she was sure why he did it, and that added an odd sense of comfort to her due the fact Aiden didn’t answer her messages. But Mabel bet that it was anything but a nice surprise.

_Oh gosh how this happened? I don’t get it! They were so compatible; how bat their date was that…_

Mabel stopped at scare meters from Ellen, having just gotten aware she was there. Arms crossed, she was standing in front her closed locker. She was dressing one of her usual baggy shirts (this time a cream-colored one), a pair of jeans, and more unsettling, a Yautja mask covering her face. Her wild hair matched perfectly with it; Mabel could easily pretend her curls were the classic dreadlocks of a Predator. Having been told by Dipper the specifics of their agreement, she could now assure herself she was officially screwed.

“Ellen” Mabel greeted her with worry.

“Mabel” Ellen said clearly and deep, despite being used the mask. Mabel felt Ellen’s determination chilling her bones; she was sure it had been a disaster.

“Oh boy. I have to guess you’re going to hunt me or something –?”

“ –It’s nothing like that” Ellen interrupted her with a much friendlier tone. She walked the few steps there were between them, and removed her mask. Ellen looked slightly sad, much for Mabel’s bigger concern.

“Ellen…?”

“Are you completely sure that anything of what happened to me was intentional? Can you really assure me that?” Ellen asked with angst.

“Of course it wasn’t intentional! We were friends” Mabel replied with subtle frustration. Remember those unfortunate events was nothing to be fond for to her. “Why are you asking me that?”

“Because… because…” Ellen struggled to say, turning away with her mask between her hands. “It is just that… What happened last night…”

“Oh snap! It was a disaster, wasn’t it?” Mabel asked in fright.

“It was perfect” Ellen replied in confusion. “I can’t name what that was but… It was just like… Grrr! Those things aren’t supposed to be in real life! He was perfect and kind and – he was like…”

“A dream boy” Mabel said with a weak smile.

“Yeah, he was” Ellen reassured with a warm smile, turning to face Mabel again, growing confused. “How did you do that”

“Weeeeeell Aiden is already awesome for himself and I don’t know, I have this infallible superintuition for love, I… I though you two were perfect together” Mabel said, enlarging her smile.

“And aren’t you weirded by the fact you practically gave me your ex to date?” Ellen asked, darting her eyes in confusion.

“Aiden’s more than _just_ my ex. He’s my friend, our friend, mine and Dipper’s. One of our best friends if I can say. And I hurt him. And I hurt you. I felt I needed to do something as big as he…”. Mabel stopped there; she was at scarce words to say the thing that had never to be said. There was a second of uncomfortable silence, until Ellen got what Mabel had just hided.

“The secret he promised to keep” Ellen reassured. Mabel’s eyeballs widened in fright for a moment, a thousand bad things coming to her mind. “Don’t worry, he didn’t tell me what it is”

“Pewff, you freaked the Mabel out, girl” Mabel said in obvious relief. “So, what do you think about that?”

“Iiiiiit isn’t a horror movie-like secret or something, it is?” Ellen asked with certain worry.

“Oh gosh no no no” Mabel hurried to answer, moving frantically her hands “ it is nothing like that” She reassured. “It is just that… It is hard to explain –“

“Don’t hurry up. I get it. I’m not _that_ gossip” Ellen reassured with a waving of hand.

“Girl, you’re a press chief; you’re all gossipness” Mabel reassured in disbelief. Ellen chuckled, remembering her more eager aims for uncover the truth.

“Heh, if you want to feel safe about I’ll assume it is just an awkward family secret of whatever; I didn’t cite you here for that”

“Theeeeen…”

Ellen approached the Yautja mask to Mabel without say a word, and Mabel looked at it for a moment. There was this kind of nerd reference she just had to remember from Dipper to help her to understand what was going on.

“Iiiiiii don’t get it, Ellen-zellen” Mabel inquired, turning her eyes to watch Ellen’s face.

“It is a Predator way to gift a piece of weaponry to the ones who had proven themselves honorable with a worthy hunt. And, well… you just hunted a kind hot boy for me, even when’s your ex. That says a lot”. Mabel smiled widely as she approached her fist to her chin and she began to emit a sound akin to a boiling pot. “Oh please don’t squeal, not yet” Ellen interrupted her. Mabel lowered her arms, looking with disdain.

“You just kill the mode, girl. But that means…?” She asked with hopeful aims.

“Yes. I kinda think I’ll give you a chance. I just feel this is _way_ bigger than just pick a date for me. Aaand I have to admit I have no reasons to be mad at you anymore”. There was a second pause, this time a good one, and Mabel took the Yautja mask from Ellen’s hand.

“Take care of him, Ellen. He’s a real dream boy” Mabel told her.

“Yeah, I know” Ellen replied with hope.

For her, it looked like if Life was giving her back much more than she could have lost…


	11. The Girl and the Boy

Ellen was seating near the edge between the high seat and the stairs, looking at the autumn’s morning sky. It was the only place in the week’s schedule besides the lunch time where they could meet each other at school; and that was the most exciting part of that day. Sure they could meet after the school when their agendas could allow them to go on dates (and they did it, very frequently), but that only hour at week it was the one in which they didn’t have to make any appoint of where they were with anyone. For both, it was thrilling. For the sake of the game, none of them would say if was going to be available, so Ellen was no sure if Aiden could assist to their encounter. She just was there, hoping for the best.

Then, his silhouette was visible walking over the humid glass; and her heart pumped faster.

With his usual merry attitude, he walked upstairs until he reached the level in which she was sitting, and greeted her with was supposed to be only a fast kiss, but always extended the several seconds they pressed their faces together.

They lips got apart, both chuckling and blushed, and Aiden sat over the seat’s edge. It wasn’t a habit for them to say “good morning” each other, for lovely reasons too simple to be discussed, so they tended to proceed direct to the conversation, as they had became used to do it.

“Aren’t you cold?” Aiden asked, noticing she was in one of her baggy shirts, with no sweater nor jacket to cover herself from the morning’s cold air.

“Nop. It must be really cold for me to use a sweater. I am a hot girl” She replied with pretended pride, and Aiden laughed; he could avail in many different ways.

Aiden took his cellphone and his earphones out of his pocked, as Ellen looked at him with curiosity.

“I was hearing this song in the way here, I think I like it now” Aiden said as he connected the earphones to his cellphone.

“Something new?” Ellen asked.

“Ehhmmm nop. Please don’t mock me for it” He replied with pretended disdain.

“Heh, do you fear it to be a _too_ girly song?” Ellen pretended to tease him.

“It is sort of _meme stuff_ , indeed” Aiden replied, rubbing his nape.

“Oh, com’ on, boyfriend. There was a day in which I had to tolerate how Dipper sang the whole BABBA’s first album in the press room; I guess it was a bet with Hough or something. Believe me, nothing in this world could be more ridicule than that” Ellen reassured with a relaxed smile.

“Ok then. Here is it” Aiden said, handing her one of the earphones.

“Let’s see…” Ellen replied, putting the earphone in her ear.

Aiden put his respective earphone on his ear and put play on the track, looking at Ellen with expectance as she closed her eyes. Almost unnoticeably, she began to shake her head at the rhythm of the song.

“So, do you like it?” Aiden asked with a growing smile.

“Hush, I’m listening, this is neat” Ellen said, raising her hand and taking the cellphone.

“Ok, I’ll guess you like it” Aiden replied and closed his eyes as well as he remained sitting at her side. That was going to be the first of several times in which they were going to play that song over the day, and sure over the course of the coming days.

**_Step 3: Date new people_ **

It was all _Dream Boy High_ … No, it was much better. Fairly much better than all the possible superlatives they could think to describe it.

Maybe it was some kind of magic; maybe some kind of convenience, Destiny, or simply the Power of Mabel; but it didn’t take much to them to like each other, a lot. They were in synthon in a very particular way; their behaviors and tempers matched almost like a greased engine as the weeks turned into months and the shy handshaking into powerful, passionate kisses.

If Dipper and Mabel moved their love around the element of Braveness, Ellen and Aiden moved theirs around the element of Intensity. And they were pretty intense for themselves. One day some of them would suggest an unexpected and spontaneous date to somewhere, not matter how crazy or out of charts it was; and with no pressure nor obligation, if the circumstances were the right ones, the other would instantly agree and bot could set the plan into motion. More than one time they had come to San Francisco just for the thrill of go and other days they would just swallow entire series in the comfortability of home. And as much as both were kind of territorial in their own ways, there were days in which each one was free to hang out with their respective friends without remorse nor jealous; both knew that it was another adventure they would talk about the next day. Also, they pretty much into touchy businesses; it was surprising how they hadn’t already crossed the obvious barriers of physical intimacy, but they were more than willing to do it when one of them would give the indication.

A pair of fluttering, free spirits tangled together in their own way; _Ellaiden_ was a fine, precise machinery of love, and that November 1rt they arrived together to school, Mabel looked from a prudent distance, nodding with pride. She raised a hand, and Dipper replied clapping his with hers. Another match made for her album, and the first one achieved by the Mighty Matchin’ Matchmakers…

“… and then Mabel ran straight to Miss. Carwraith’s desk and she spilled the whole bucket of purple paint over the classroom!” Ellen finished with a long, noisy laugh, as Aiden laughed too, their stomachs already hurting for the continuous laughing. Ellen coughed, choking in her own laughs, and that made Aiden’s own increase in tone. Ellen punched his shoulder, as she regained her laughs. Then the humor slowed down, and the noisy lauching became into a trail of chuckles, as both cleansed their eyes.

“I guess your runs to class are going to be a habit” Aiden asked, still chuckling.

“What can I say? It is way funnier than I though. We already know which corridors we can use; not a big deal” Ellen replied, recharging herself more comfortably over her living room’s couch.

“Good to hear it. I’m glad you are friends again” Aiden reassured with a warm smile.

“I had no reason to be mad at her anymore, I guess. She’s… kinda this light spark, I don’t know. Heh, you sure think I’ being corny”

“Cornier than my whole emotional travel before to meet you? I don’t think so” Aiden dismissed, leaning closer to her.

“Do you want to bet?” Ellen asked with a flirtatious expression, she getting closer as well.

“Maybe…” Aiden replied with a lower tune.

“Mhmm, sounds good for me…” Ellen said as well, wrapping her arms around him, getting his face closer to hers.

“Com’ here, naughty girl…” Aiden said, just before their lips met. Oh yeah, another make-out session had begun.

Eyes closed, hands going everywhere around each other’s back, they were kissing strong and ardently, their faces red in boiling relief. Aiden would always keep his body away from her, their knees together, and Ellen would always pull his back to her, pressing their bodies together. They rolled over the couch, Aiden being above her, as their lips got apart for a moment to share a fast chuckle, and then resume their kissy business with a noisy smooch to crown the moment. Ellen passed her hands across her now not-so-pointy head, and that filled him with urges. His hand slipped across her side, and with no aware his hand was inside her baggy shirt, touching her warm, brownish skin. Ellen chuckled inside the kiss, and Aiden chuckled as well, for a moment breaking the kiss again. Then their lips reunited again, Aiden’s heart pumping faster and faster as his hand slipped higher over her body until his thumb touched her breast and then…

“Mhm?” Ellen mumbled, opening her eyes. Aiden felt her glance hitting his face, and suddenly got aware where his hand was, opening his eyes as well. That sole second in which they just stared out of focus, frozen there they were, was enough to inspire in Aiden a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time in that kind of situation: panic.

Faster than Ellen could have seen, Aiden got away from her towards the opposite side of the couch, and the next second Ellen concluded what Aiden was thinking it happened, widening her already opened eyes and sitting straight over the couch.

“Oh no oh no oh no I got too far I’m so sorry…” Aiden began to say very quickly, taking a hand over his head, totally terrified.

“No, no no! It’s ok, it’s ok…” Ellen quickly dismissed, raising her arms and shaking her hands to him. “it is just… I mean…” Ellen began to stammer, lowering her hands. “I… I liked that” Ellen finally admitted, her cheeks getting redder. Aiden’s breath lowered, and he blushed as well, smiling weakly. “It is just you took me for surprise and I…” Ellen tried to say, recharging her back over the couch.

“… You’re not ready” Aiden asked in shame, recharging over the couch too.

“I… I guess. I don’ know, it is just…” Ellen tried to articulate. It was a shame for her to still having those feelings after all that time, but she was having them anyway.

“Just what?” Aiden asked, frowning in concern as he turned his head to see her.

“… Do… Do you think I’m pretty?” Ellen asked, looking at him.

“You’re gorgeous” Aiden answered with sincere, warm content, Ellen getting even redder than before. “Why do you ask that?”

“I don’ know just… I just think you’re so… and I’m… well, I fear you don’t like if we…” Ellen stammered, still blushed.

“… If we have _… Sex_?” Aiden finally dared to say it, his eyes wide opened and his cheeks redder than ever. Ellen immediately recognized the intensity in which he was thinking about that, and smiled, looking away as well.

“it is just a dumb low-esteem think from me to think, isn’t it?” She asked, looking away with a weak smile, putting her hands over her knees.

“Well, being sincere with you I have my deals with it too” Aiden confessed too, rubbing his nape.

“Are you serious?” Ellen dismissed with a stern glance. “You’re practically like a Greek statue, hips and all”

“Weeeell we can say I could be more like a Greek statue than you might like…” Aiden finally admitted, looking away in shame.

“You and Mabel…?” Ellen struggled to ask. Aiden widened her eyes at the mention, and quickly turned to face her again.

“Oh no no no no, we never… did it. In fact I have like _zero_ experience with that?” Aiden said with a brief smile.

“Oh” Ellen quickly got it, turning away again. “So… you’re still virgin” She reassured.

“Yep, I am” He admitted, turning away as well.

“Oh, well. I guess I can’t trust in any sort of fame nor gossip anymore” Ellen said in defeat.

“A hard lesson for a journalist, eh?” Aiden joked.

“Yeah, shut up” Ellen replied with a smile.

“Heh, sorry” Aiden said with a chuckle.

“So… Being clear you want to do it” Ellen asked.

“Well, yes. I want” Aiden replied with a nervous tone, and Ellen cheeks’ redness intensified again, looking back at him.

“I want too” She replied in equally nervous tone. “And don’t feel bad just ‘cause you’re unexperienced. We can test what you like together” Ellen said with confidence, putting a hand over his knee.

“I guess you know what you like to do” Aiden reassured with a flirtatious smile.

“I can teach you whenever you want. No shame included” Ellen replied with confidence.

“So… Should we let the day to surprise?” Aiden asked.

“I can’t wait for it to come” Ellen replied with a warm tone, kissing him softly. Their lips got apart, and they then recharged their foreheads together, closing their eyes.

“You’re just so amazing, El. Is this really happening?” Aiden asked.

“I can avail. What kind of place should I wait for if this is just a dream?” Ellen said back. Aiden’s face got serious for a moment, his mind remembering the Never Castle for a moment. Ellen perceived his change of aims, and she frowned in worry.

“What happens?”

“Huh? Nothing. Just remembering bad dreams. Nothing like this” He replied, and both smiled again, still not opening their eyes.


	12. The Ghostly Adventure of Aiden Zimmerman and his Friends

  * San Francisco, California. Middle night; May 16, 2014



_…SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEONG!!!...._

_Hard concrete over my chest. My sword stained in my own blood, cold and sharp. My breaths are counted, my screams exhausted. You’re at bare streets from me, still trying to find me, but I fear you won’t share my last breaths._

_I’m sorry so much. I know I had to be strong, I know I had to be wise, and I know I had to be lucky. But here I am, dying as a mere side effect of magnificent things beyond my understanding, so I die filled in questions. Where these beasts came from? What do they want? Had they noticed they’re squishing people under their massive feet?_

_I’d like to have died in braver circumstances; I’d like to have died fighting. And the worst part is that you’ll be alone and I can’t tell you that this isn’t your fault. I want to hug you, I want to kiss you so hard and comfort you and tell you how much I love you, but I have not enough heartbeats for you to find me._

_I must be there, I must tell you to be brave, to be wise… and to be lucky. Not matter the rampaging monsters, whatever could they be fighting for, no matter my weak human condition. I must find a way to tell you this is going to pass, that clouds will let the sun to shine again._

_I’ll find a way, I promise…_

  * Piedmont High, around midday. November 14, 2016



**_Step 4: Face All the other problems still out there._ **

Maybe it was the climate change. Maybe it was the strange weather patterns still imprinting evidence of the happening of The Shifts in the nearby worlds of the Milky Way. Or maybe it was even some kind of phenomena that was related with Godzilla in a way or another, but the last day of the semester, a very strange snow storm fell over Piedmont early in the morning.

As accustomed by local authorities, when the weather became even worse (more or less during the final class times) the school became a temporary settlement for all the students that didn’t have the chance to go back home until the storm was calming down. Every student who had a car to go back home was more than eager to make their way back… until the principal ordered to close the park yard (and that man was very intimidating in his duty when he had the need to keep the order, much for the fright of his subordinated teachers).

For Aiden Zimmerman, that meant he had to endure his worse personal scenario: be stuck with his ex-friends and his now friends in the same space without chances to avoid a fight.

They were all there, confined on the cafeteria, the members he knew among his entire grade, among other unknown faces. Every often one could be allowed to pass to another place of the school to look for a friend or familiar, make a call, or simply relax out of the noise of the chattering crowd. Nothing of that was enough for him. Dipper could’ve offered to tutor the class about whatever thing could he think about to study, but no sane soul could ever support him at the final day of school, as Dave had pointed with disdain.

But at the eleventh hour, Mabel took off a gigantic yarn ball (where she got it from he couldn’t still understand) and began to make her best to catch enough attention from the crowd with a knitting challenge so Aiden could feel more comfortable, knowing that after the day Leigh made her to slip off, no one could allow his ex-friends to make aggressive approaches towards the Pines twins anymore (even less if some of her satisfied clients on the matchmaking business were among the crowd).

The needles waved wildly and the yarn ran faster than the eye can see through the air, as Sally Clinton was making her best to outrun Mabel’s already twenty-feet long scarf. Mabel made malevolent glances towards Sally as her seemingly infinite yarn supply shifted from pink to blue, as Sally returned them with sternness and yarny rage.

“You’ll bite the dust, Pines! This game is mine” Sally shouted at the girl along her over the cafeteria’s table and an ever more amused public shouted “Mabel! Mabel! Mabel!” as her scarf grew longer and longer. Only Mabel Pines could make an entire group of unamused, cell-focused teens to go wild over a pair of unfinished scarfs.

“Keep dreaming, slow fingers! Knitting is my business” Mabel exclaimed in a triumphant voice, her scarf being already as long as the entire cafeteria.

“Where the heck do you get so much yarn?!” Sally asked, still being five meters behind her.

“I’ll never tell ya, girl!” Mabel shouted, and the alarm clock buffed over the table.

Kathy took it and yelled “Time over! Let’s check the long”

A few tables away from them, Aiden watched at the spectacle with serene joy, keeping in mind the why of the contest (even when it was sure Mabel was enjoying with her spontaneous but well-crafted decoy). He was pondering what they were going to do with such infinite scarf, as he kept staring at the event with a big smile.

_Oh gosh, Mabel.I’ll have to figure out a way to compensate this…_

“BOH!” He heard from behind, and rose his face to meet Ellen’s with a hard, fast kiss. There she was, his dear partner in kisses.

“Hey there, girlfriend” Aiden said as he moved to allow her to sit along him. Ellen sat along him, putting her backpack over the floor.

“I heard the noise and I decided to make a trip to the cafeteria. Who’s winning?” She asked.

“I think Mabel, but not sure”

“I bet she’ll make Dipper to wear that” Ellen said, laughing.

“Hah! I bet she’ll do it” Aiden exclaimed with the same amusement.

“Hey, don’t you know what’s going on with Hough? I see him, well… less Hugh than other days” Ellen quickly changed the subject, looking at their friend.

“What do you mean?” Aiden asked at the moment he turned to see as well. There, in the front lines of the crowd, he laid sitting; a frown of worry and a fist bellow his chin were enough to make him to acknowledge that he wasn’t the usual Hough. “Oh, I see”

“Don’t you think we should, you know, cheer him up a little?” Ellen suggested.

“Heh, you never go along with the cheering up deal. Why this time?” Aiden asked with curiosity.

“Weell the deal is that I saw on his desk last week and I saw… something he could be sad about, something delicated” Ellen inquired.

“What did you see?”

“…Something he doesn’t like to talk about” Ellen said, losing a little of enthusiasm.

“Something like…?” Aiden asked with an risen eyebrow.

“I…” Ellen began to say, to just after pant aloud “He never talks about that, with none of us”

“Is a kind of secret or…?” Aiden asked, more worried than curious, and Ellen quickly got it.

“It is more something you could make him to talk about. I think it would help him to deal with it” Ellen reassured with a confident smile.

“Do you think I’m the best man for the job? Any of you know him better” Aiden asked.

“Well, that’s the why you could make him to talk. He’s not afraid of what your reaction could be. You know, break the ice” Ellen inquired with enthusiasm. Aiden reassured about it for a moment; it was evident for him that Hough was still keeping distance from him for some reason, and even when he admitted he didn’t feel any trouble about it, he was still a friend of his new group. It was time for Aiden to take care of the people around him beyond his main duty.

“Let’s give him a manly hug; I got the arms for that” Aiden exclaimed happily.

“Haha, Eugh. When did you become so corny?” Ellen teased him friendly, pushing his shoulder.

“I learned from the best ones” Aiden replied, turning his head to see the Pines twins. Mabel had her eyes put on Dave’s tape as the inches turned into feet of scarf, and Dipper a couple of tables away, staring at her with defiantly pride.

“Remind me to thank them for that later” Ellen inquired, as both arose from the table’s long chair.

But then Hough seemed to look at some place, and lifted from his seat as well, walking away towards the doors as everyone, included the teachers, had their eyes put on Mabel’s contest. Leigh and Carl, one of his team’s members and also an ex-friend, followed him silently.

Something was going on.

Aiden looked at Dipper, who was already looking at them. A fast nod of his part, and the three were in their way out of the cafeteria…

“Well well well, look who the wind brought” Leigh said with a malignantly amused smile.

“What do you want, Leigh?” Hough defied her, his hands made into fists along his hips.

“Let’s remember. What was the school’s policy towards any… inappropriate content brought to the school?” Leigh asked, showing him the photo she took from her cellphone.

“Tha-that’s not mine! You cannot prove it!” Hough replied with rage.

“So why so angry then?” She told him with a smirk.

“Well, you brought your new butcher with you. Make your blackmails properly if you want to cause fear rather than indignation”

Carl walked towards him, and pushed him to the lockers, stomping a hand aside his head.

“That’s how you use a butcher” Leigh said unamused.

“Heh, this is your blackmail? Are you going to invite me the dinner, Carl?” Hough asked humorously as he stared at Carl’s face and launched him a kiss. But instead Hough feel the pain of a punch right in his stomach, and he got weak in dry agony as his knees got weak and his body bent down over his tummy.

“Still funny, f*cked up creep?” Carl said to him with raspy anger.

“I know you know things, things I want to know” Leigh said as she walked towards them, folding her cellphone. “Everyone has a price, Hough. Tell me what I want to know about Dipper Pines and I’ll spare you from be expelled…”.

“Tell you what about me?” They heard coming from the corridor, as the three of them looked to see. Dipper was there, standing along Ellen and Aiden; they were coming to the rescue. “She was right, you’re full a wicked witch” he cited the words of an old friend they had lost

“Witch, but still here despite all. That means something I fear” Leigh pronounced in high tone.

“That means nothing for you…!” Hough shouted angry.

“Stay in place, fatty, I’ll come for you next” Leigh interrupted him, turning her attention back to Dipper. “Aren’t you too far from your sister Dip? That is breaking the rules”

“Bullying’s also against the rules, Leigh, furthermore blackmailing” Ellen replied, looking at them in a defiantly way. Leigh remained silent; Ellen was pouring the exact type of vibes that use to tell a person that the other could use the same weapons to fightback the situation.

“So what? This is not your business. Tell me Aiden, aren’t you bored from hang out with those geeks?” Carl asked.

“Are you joking to me? These had been the best months of my life here; I wonder how I didn’t got bored from all of you before; I mean, wow, you’re so stereotypical you’re - “ Aiden began to say with noticeable indignation, before to be interrupted by a raspberry coming from Dipper.

“Aiden, our friend” Dipper reassured.

“Oh, true” Aiden replied with a nervous grinning, to just after look back at the bullies. “Leave Hugh alone or – “

“Or what? You wanna fight?” Carl interrupted him. “Do you think that just ‘cause you got ripped I’m scared of you, eh? Do you think that?”

Suddenly, something happened around them. The air got quickly colder, and a strange blankness began to cover the walls. Hough stood away from the lockers, a little bit scared and a little bit surprised that the no one else was noticing it.

“Ehm, guys?” Hough said in a low tune, trying to make them to put attention.

“Carl, you don’t need to do this. I know you, we were friends; this is not how you are” Aiden tried to reassure with him.

The air got even colder, and Dipper woke up from the chattering distraction, looking around himself.

“Guys” Dipper replied as well, now noticing the slow change in the environment, his words being unheard as well.

“You’re the last dude who can tell us that. You marooned us… for them!” Carl exclaimed, pointing at Dipper with his hand.

The icy walls turned black dark, until they were practically indistinguishable from the incoming blackness in which the corridors ended now.

“Do you even remember what happened?! You ostracized me from everyone else! They were the only ones who cared about me and I couldn’t be more thankful for that” Aiden yelled aloud. This time, he had punched a place Aiden hadn’t been hurt in a long time.

“That’s what you believe then? F*ck you then and f*ck every one of…”

“Guys!” Ellen finally shouted. Aiden and Carl looked at their surroundings at last. Leigh appeared to notice it as well, as she took a step backward and turned her head to every direction.

“Oh no” Aiden said, rolling his eyes everywhere. “Dipper, tell me you have something to do with this” He said as they took a step backward as well raising his arms in front of him and Ellen.

“I have nothing to do with this, Aids” Dipper replied with nervous fear. The darkness enveloped everything except for them, as a chilling wild coming from every direction began to blow around. Leigh walked a few steps backward, unsure about what was happening.

“What is this? What f*cking trick is this?!” Leigh yelled, finally losing her remaining temper as she turned his attention towards Hough. “You. You are doing this!”

“Stop it, stop it now!” Carl shouted, turning to Hough and hitting his chest with both hands, sending him back to the floor…

“KREEEAAAAAAAH!...”

There it was. Unforgettable, unmistakable, and definitively as scary as it was to hear it the first time, the crackling roar of a MUTO, distorted and frightening as always was. Everyone there had their memories of the beast, as it had stepped on Oakland just to reach her mate; Dipper could recall the day he, along Mabel and their parents had witnessed it from the roof of their home, a sight no one could ever forget.

There was a second in which no one told anything, nor moved nor tried to do anything at all. They remained in position, waiting for the thing that was coming for them.

Then Carl began to glow.

“Wha-“ It was the only thing he could say before the shinning around his body focused on his scrotch, and what began as a simple itch turned almost instantly into pure, raw agony. Carl began to scream, as the veins under his skin turned blue and his eyes glowed intensely. Her arms crooked, and his chest collapsed, as his screams became louder and more distorted, and dark blue blood sprouted from his mouth as leigh began to scream in terror, his already pale face expressing such amount of agony that Aiden could easily feel some kind of painful feedback.

“AAAyorgh!” Carl distortedly pronounced as his whole innards fell over the floor and his entire body, arms and neck, crooked like a rugged paper while his bones crushed audibly, his dead-cold skin steaming like boiling water.

Then he just laid inert, steaming cold.

“Holy sh*t!” Hough shouted as he stood over the floor

Leigh kept screaming, and prey of the panic, ran away towards the darkness, not stopping from scream.

Aiden just stood there, unmovable.

And Ellen; well, she puked over the floor.

Luckily, Dipper was there.

Slowly, but sure of what he was doing, he approached towards Carl’s disfigured body, and he bent down to touch his already twisted neck with the tip of his fingers.

“Come on come on come on…” He said as he approached his skin towards the cold corpse of the bully, and sighed in relief when he felt what it was supposed to be felt. “You’re lucky, Carl. You’re really friggin’ lucky” He said. He raised from the floor with a hopeful and adventurous glance, but it was obvious for him that his friends weren’t the least enthusiastic about.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god…” Ellen said continuously, hugging herself with frantic movements of her hands rubbing her forearms, her breath visible as an oven’s steam.

Aiden’s mind went quickly back at the moment he saw Darlene to die, so far ago from there, He wondered what could have been with them if the fierce mice gorgons hadn’t attacked them in that instant, and he made himself sure he had to do something for Ellen, right now, however he could do it.

Ellen’s frightened state was suddenly interrupted by Aiden’s strong arms. Her eyes opened, and she felt the instinct to push him back, to yell him not to try to cheer her up, to scream until her breathless chest could finally fall over the floor and join Carl into a freezing death… But Aiden just kept hugging her. Her initial panic slowly faded away, as his warm skin put a rest to her instincts of run and fight. She closed her eyes, surrendering her fears and slowly gluing together the shards of her massacred sensorial experience as the sounds of his breathing came to her ears as a blanket of heavy calm.

Everything she could think or feel now was that Aiden was there, willing to stand with her, to turn off the flares of what could have been the beginning of her madness.

She tangled her fingers with Aiden’s in a strange but comfortable position, as her mind quickly made the final adjustments to process what she had just seen.

Now she was ready to react.

“Thank you” Ellen admitted with a slow sigh, relaxing her body.

“I’ll always be there for you” He said back, soft but strong in his voice, the truest of promises. A humble pair of seconds passed away, for them, an Eternity to process, until Ellen opened her eyes, her calculating journalist mind going back fast and sharp.

“Oh right, why weren’t you going crazy as me?” She asked, back into her investigative voice.

“Ahmmm Dipper can help you with that” Aiden replied nervously, untangling his arms from her body.

Both teens looked at Dipper. Maybe the scene was too touching for him, he was standing with a half-smile and teary eyes.

“Ehmm… Dipper?” Ellen asked with a confused tune.

“Wha – Oh! Yeah! I know what’s happening” Dipper quickly answered, going back into his senses, cleaning his eyes with his arm. “Everyone here, quickly” Dipper said, as if he was expecting more people to join him.

Hough walked to them, trying to not look too much at Carl’s disfigured body.

“Ok, we have not much time but are you ok?” Dipper asked with a hurried tune, Ellen and Aiden nodding at the moment. 

“Yeah yeah I’m ok, fine” Hough answered as quickly as Dipper.

“Ok, good. I fear we’re facing a Category 10” Dipper said.

“A Category 10 of what?” Ellen quickly asked.

“Ghosts” Aiden answered. “Oh sh*t”

“Do you mean _ghosts_? Actual ghosts?” Ellen inquired.

“Yep, ghosts exist, Ellen” Dipper inquired quickly. She inflated her cheeks for a second and quickly decided that after Godzilla, pterodacyls, and kaiju-like horny parasitic radiotrophs, just going along the idea that ghosts existed was perfectly reasonable. Explanations could go later.

“Ok, I get it, easy deal” Ellen said blowing away the air in her cheeks.

“Good” Dipper asserted. “Ok, I’ll try to be quick. I’ve faced Category 10s before and believe me, we are on a serious problem. It attacked Carl in the way it did it for a reason, and we must figure why to break the spell”

“Do you mean he’s still alive?” Hough asked with interest.

“Yep, and that is going to hurt a lot for him” Dipper replied.

“How’s he still alive? I mean… Brbrbr” Ellen tried to summon the question, not daring to look at Carl’s body .

“Yes, he is. Ghostly wound are not permanent as much as we can undo the curse but we need to be quick” Dipper reassured, but Ellen was still looking at him with distrust. “Trust me, I was once turned into wood and I saw a friend mauled within a cereal poster” He said with confidence. “He’ll be fine”

“What about us?” Hough quickly asked.

“For now? Run. Fast” Dipper replied with an adventurous tune. “Follow me”

So they ran into the darkness.

The corridor seemed to extend towards the Infinite, as they were unable to find the lockers, the door to the cafeteria, or any form of wall at all. No matter the direction in which they decided to run, the floor prolonged itself continuously towards an horizon hidden within an unreachable darkness. But Dipper knew the trick should end somewhere, that whatever the ghost’s reasons could be, the trick should work for some specific purpose. Sonner or later, they should find an edge or a wall.

“So, is there a background story or something?” Ellen asked to Dipper “I mean, I must believe you have faced ghosts before”

“More times than I would’ve liked to do it, indeed” Dipper answered, as they kept with their hurried walk. “When we had twelve, I and Mabel were sent to a town called Gravity Falls”

“Like a haunted town or something?” Hough reassured.

“Way more than that. All kinds of paranormal phenomena can be found there, I sincerely lost the count of how many things we’ve lived there” Dipper replied with certain joy that those memories brought to him.

“Do you mean Mabel knows about this? About the ghosts and the pterodactyl?” Ellen asked.

“That thing once stole Waddles, we had to get inside a dinosaur cave to rescue him” Dipper remembered fondly. Ellen stopped her march to reassure the situation for a moment, all those years she had been hanging out with real-life Mystery Twins.

“Sure? Why the pig shouldn’t be involved too?” She inquired, to next follow the pace of the group.

“Wait, I hear something!” Hough interrupted, stopping in place. “This way!” He shouted, running towards the direction from which the sound came, the others following him.

They didn’t run so long until a blurred figure was visible on the floor, laying in fetal position. They slowed their walk until they stayed at several meters from the figure, whose appearance was bluish as deep ice. Certainly, something gory and spooky could happen again.

Hough felt like if he had seen the silhouette before, like if the apparition was scratching on still-wounded parts of his heart.

He definitively had to know whose face lay hidden from sight.

By mere instinct, he made a step forward.

“Hough, no…” Dipper began to say, when another loud shriek echoed around them. The darkness got bluish and bright, as the misty shadow of a winged MUTO passed over them, followed by a much more recognizable sound.

_…SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEONG!!!...._

Hough slipped, sitting down over the floor. He looked way more shocked than he should be, having been the one who best reacted to Carl’s horrid disfiguration. Dipper glimpsed him for a moment, before turning his attention towards the figure.

Still giving them back, the figure stood over the polished white ground, and a ponytail falling from her head made them know that it was Leigh; bluish as she was, but it was sure she was Leigh. Her hands quivered, her clothes ragged by what looked like claw marks; something had happened to her.

_This must be related! I’m sure all of this must be related!_

“What do you wanted to know about me, Leigh?” Dipper asked with confidence. Leigh’s arms shook like noodles, and for a moment it looked like if Leigh was going to turn her head to look at them”

“Name” Leigh said in a low but sharply voice, her hands quivering even faster. For Dipper, it was obvious she was resisting some sort of possession.

“Who’s name?” Dipper asked.

_Is this connected to me? Why?_

Leigh laughed hard as annoying as she used to laugh, when the veins of her hands turned blue and she made fists, stopping her mock.

“The girl. On the theater. You were kissing… I saw her, she had this stupid, pink… Arghh!” Leigh tried to ask, but her now shaky hands began to steam.

_Oh no._

Dipper instantly caught the reference. Last week he went to a theater in Oakland with Mabel, and of course, out of suspect, they hadn’t repairs in act as boyfriend and girlfriend.

He stood quiet, no discernible answer seemed enough good, and Aiden quickly noticed it. Leigh had just left out of any rational idea to the only person with the knowledge to safe her.

“I know she’s Mmmm…” She tried to say, but her tongue stood still. “Her name is MHMM..!!!” She tried again. “OH NO YOU DON’T!!!!” She yelled with a deep tone, and her entire body stretched horridly as arms, legs and neck twirled around it selves like molten candy. “YOU WICKED WITCH!” they heard her to say, when her entire body began to crack like an ice statue.

Dipper made quick movements of his eyes, trying to go back to his senses, believing he had more time.

“ _Wicked witch_ … Wait, I know who the ghost is!” Dipper shouted, turning to glare his friends, “ she is –“

But then Leigh’s body fell into pieces, and the moment the pieces touched the ground, this disappeared, and everyone fell into a frightful darkness…

_…SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEONG!!!...._

Hough opened his eyes, quickly rising from the floor. He looked around himself. Dipper was on the floor, completely frozen. Hough put his hand over his mouth in terror, before his back touched something, and he jumped away in a scream.

“Hough, it’s me!” Aiden shouted as he turned around, taking his shoulders. “It’s me” He repeated with a comforting smile.

“Aiden… Dipper is…” He tried to say.

“Frozen” Both heard Ellen’s voice away from them. Aiden let Hough’s shoulders go so he turned around to see her, she was next to Dipper’s body, hugging herself out of cold. “If we don’t solve this we’re the next ones”

Aiden looked at his frozen friend as he walked slowly towards him, rock solid over the ground, in a sleeping-like pose. “No” He shouted, his fears about losing them going back thru his spine, cold and clear.

“He said he knew who the ghost was before the floor disappeared, what does that mean?” Ellen reassured.

“Maybe the ghost wants its privacy” Hough suggested with a dot of humor, remembering himself that if they resolved the mystery, Dipper (and his bullies as side-effect) would be fine.

“He’s not mauled” Aiden inquired. “Carl and Leigh, it literally punched them to pulp. You don’t do things like that unless someone makes you very, very angry”

“The ghost… it attacked Carl because he pushed Hough, and hurt Leigh when she tried to blackmail Dipper” Ellen remembered. “She was defending them!”

“But then why it froze Dipper?” Hough asked with confusion.

“Wait” Ellen interrupted, walking around. “Come on come on come on, think!” she said as she walked faster around.

_The ghost. We haven’t seen it. But it looks it knows Dipper and Hough. But he froze Dipper. It doesn’t make any sense unless…it wants us to guess its identity. But why not Dipper?... Wicked Witch… I remember someone who used to curse like that… Wicked witch… Wicked witch!!!_

“I got it!” Ellen said with a triumphant tune.

“What?” Aiden asked with confusion. Without say a word, Ellen quickly walked towards him and hugged him tightly. “Ok, I’m not getting it” he said, even more confused.

“Things are gonna get cold” She said with joy. Aiden raised his eyebrows in the scary realization he knew what she meant to say. “Hey Ghost! Your name is…!”

Faster than the eye could see, a blurred, lighted figure passes thru them, freezing them in place in front of Hugh; Aiden’s last expression being something like a solid “Oh my freaking God!”.

So there was Hough, standing alone in the darkness.

“No” He said once. “ No no no no no no not again” he said again, putting his hands over his head.

Hough turned around himself, meanwhile, like thunders behind the clouds, more figures of titans manifested between the darkness, the air being filled with furious roars of the ancient beasts who battled over San Francisco a couple of years ago.

“No!” He finally shouted, falling over his knees. The frozen bodies, the gory memories, the roars, the shadows, everything was evoking what he wanted to let go with his whole heart. He put his hands over his face, and began to sob. “I’m sorry I’m so so sorry! I couldn’t save them! I couldn’t save you!” He exclaimed at last. “I thought if I just bury it I could let it go but I can’t!... I can’t be the chill guy anymore… I’m sorry Anna”

And then, before he could notice it, the silence came back serene, and the shadows melted away in the constant horizon of darkness. Instead, another sort of bright made its way between the spaces of his fingers towards his eyes.

Oddily warm despite the cold around everything, he felt its essence, a very familiar one. He got his hands apart from his face, and rose from the floor at the sight of who was there.

There, floating in the middle air, dressed like a roman soldier, her hair and endless skirt floating in the air like if she was floating in water, and a sheath on her back, there she was. Her broken glasses over her delicately built face, a feeble scar still over her left cheek, the same lucky ribbon she used to wear on her left arm, the one he gave her the day she won a contest. It couldn’t be, but it was. She was there, in front of him, right now.

“Anna…” He said weakly as he walked slowly towards her, step by step, as she floated closer to him.

“Hough…” She said, before by mere instinct, both hurried their respective paces and crashed midway in a deep, hard hug, followed by a hard, deep kiss. Then they got their lips apart, and each had their chin in the other’s shoulder. She had an ironic phrase she had practiced for the moment, for the sake of take away a little of the heaviness of the moment, but she couldn’t just summon it out of her mouth, not now, not anymore. He was indeed the better summoner of them.

“God tell me you’re really here, please tell me you’re here” Hough said, hoping this time to not being a simple dream of many he had before. She untangled from the hug and took his cheeks, kissing him fast.

“Yes I am, neither I can’t believe it” She exclaimed, ghostly tears of clear ectoplasm floating around her face. “You have no idea what I have to do to come here”

“I failed with the spell, didn’t I?” Hough asked with certain nervousness.

“Just a little, I got fun anyway” Anna replied, taking his hands with hers.

“Yeah, I saw it. I hope them to not be that traumatized” He said, as both chuckled briefly.

“Nah, I erased their memories, they’ll be fine” She dismissed it quickly, rolling her eyes. Then she looked straight to his eyes, as if she was tasting the moment. Hough’s eyebrows descended, he knew what that meant.

“You have to go, haven’t you?” He asked with creaked voice.

“I fear I have to. I stayed ‘cause I wanted to tell you this is not your fault, it’s anyone’s fault. Just a bunch of mistakes done and things lost in the way, that’s it” Anna explained. “I know you have that burden you talk no one, but you’re not alone with that pain. You got our friends and your family, you can let your guilt apart, I promise you can”

“I – I have so many things to say, haven’t we a little more of time?” Hough asked in a hurry.

“Tell them in our favorite language…” She said as she closed her eyes, as well he did, and shared a last, deep kiss. They got their faces apart a last time, both smiling with sorrow. “I promise we’ll see again, in some moment in a better place” She said, as she untangled the blue ribbon of her arm and put it on his hands. Then she elevated over him, extending her arms. “Oh, and you should consider to ask Henry Perkins for a date, I know you have an eye on him” She said with a wink. Hough rubbed his nape as he turned red.

“A little” He said within a chuckle.

“Goodbye, Hough. I’ll always love you” Anna said a last time.

“I’ll be waiting” Hough said back, holding the ribbon between his fingers.

Anna’s shape fade away like the mist, vanishing for good, as Hough closed the ribbon to his face, closing his eyes. She would come one day.

A sword fell from the air and fit its tip on the ground, a bluish shine around it. Just after the darkness fell away, and the lockers of the walls and everything else became visible again, the cold disappearing at once. Everyone were just where they were before. Carl and Leigh’s bodies reconfigured, as Dipper, Ellen and Aiden unfroze almost instantly. Dipper arose from the floor, as Ellen and Aiden shared smiles and Leigh and Carl looked around with confused glances.

“What... what are we doing here?” Leigh asked. Dipper took the chance, and took the sword before they would see it was fit in the corridor’s floor.

“Oh, Carl was helping us to get Anna’s sword from the gym’s lockers. You two inhaled a little of rust, we got so worry for you guys, are you ok?”

“Did I?..” Carl asked, rolling his eyes in every direction.

“Yep, thanks Carl” Aiden said, having untangled from Ellen before they could notice their embrance.

“Ok, whatever you say. You’ll have the gym’s keys after the holidays, don’t forget that” Carl reassured to Aiden.

Hough came back from his sorrow just to see how, as if they were trained, his three friends just made up an excuse to their oblivious foes. Aiden and Hough’s glances crossed for a moment, Aiden winking at him. Then Dipper handed the sword to Hough, approaching to tell him something to the ear.

“We’ll talk about the magic sword after, now follow us” Dipper said quickly, to just after make a pat on his shoulder and walk away. “Oh right! Let’s go back inside, I want to know if Mabel won the contest” He said, clapping his hands.

“Yeah, let’s do that” Aiden inquired, him walking along Ellen towards the cafeteria’s doors, Leigh following them without a clear idea of what had happened.

Suddenly, Carl turned to Hough, and took his shoulder. “ Hey… Ehm, I know we never talk about it but I’m sorry for what happened with Anna, she was a good friend” He said sternly.

“Thanks” Hough said back, without a clear idea about if he was feeling relief or more confussion.

“And please, ask Henry for a date, he just doesn’t stop of talking about the _thicc boy of the school press_ it is so annoying” He reassured with a raspy voice, to just after turn around and walk inside the cafeteria.

“Ok, I’ll get it as an advice” Hough said to himself, his cheeks red as tomatoes. He looked back to the ribbon in his hands, smiling warmly. They were finally free.

  * Zimmerman Residence; Aiden’s room. That same night…



“A freezing scrotch?! A classic!” The greyish young man, sitting on the room’s floor, shouted within a hard laugh.

“Ehmm ok?” a naked Aiden inferred “ and the fact that Dipper almost died frozen doesn’t worry you a little?” he reassured.

“Dad will have to face more perils than I can anticipate; I trust you’ll be with them as well”

“Aaand when I cannot be there?” Aiden asked. “Seriously, today I felt it so close, not only for the ghost. Leigh knew something; I can’t know what or why, but she knew it. What if…”

The greysish young man looked at the window with a hopeful smile. He had some ideas, something he would suggest.

“Connor… there is something I want to ask you” Aiden asked, drawing his serious attention. “Anna… she died in San Francisco. She was destinied to die anyway or she was…”

“…Our fault?” He completed.

“It is?”

“… Sometimes we make our best to save everyone, we invest everything and no matter how hard we try we end losing the ones we love. But what matters is not that they died. It matters that they lived; that’s why we save lives, not for them but just continue but because to live is the biggest of gifts. Succeeding or not, that’s what matters. That’s the lesson my Master told me, to not surrender to the failures, but to enjoy the succeeding”

“I want to protect them, Connor. And I am just a… a boy in middle of a good place in a broken world”

“And despite all you are still trying it” the greyish young man inferred.

“Yeah I do” Aiden said with a smile, looking away.

“You wear a little of The Doctor, Aiden, never forget that. Everyone can save the worlds, but few of us have the will to do it. Expand that will, and you’ll not have to do all the work for yourself”

“You make it to sound that easy” Aiden said, raising an eyebrow.

“Hah! Someday I’ll show you what I’m fighting out there” the greyish young man said with smiley irony as he stood over the floor, ready to go back.

“You could stay” Aiden suggested when the greyish young man turned around. He stood there for an instant, not moving from where he was.

“Maybe someday. But for now we have to fight our battles” He answered.

“Good luck, Connor” Aiden said.

“Good luck, Aiden” Connor said back, going back to the portal he had opened, the portal closing behind him.

Again, Aiden was sitting over the cold floor, with a lot of things to do.


	13. Some Starry Night...

  * Pines Residence; Piedmont, California. At some point of April of 2017, near midnight…



The soft grass under his tummy was warm and wet, the bright far stars over the arch of heaven were an ancient and beautiful show for him. For sure, he took the right choice that night by taking a long nap on the house’s backyard.

Waddles had a happy life with the Pines family. Well-tempered, friendly, and intuitive in the duty of cuddle some distressed member of his home every often, he had gotten accustomed to be the merry family pet and gained the love of everyone (including, very reluctantly, Aaron himself). But there were strange days in which his humans needed to do certain things without his expressed intervention, so he had developed a clear recognition of such days. Sometimes the twins or their parents exhibited reddened tones on their faces as they hugged each other very insistently, or they spoke in higher tones than the usual, or new people showed and they acted quiet and not playfully on his presence. That day, Mabel and Dipper had spent a good amount of time in a busy railroad of cooking, so he inferred it was one of those days, and as he had learned to do, he retreated to his favorite resting spot during the hot summer nights: the grassy backyard.

Coincidentally, that was a very good night to do it; he could glimpse very clearly the tiny, unreachable dots of pure whiteness, and as every good night to spot them, he wondered what those things were. lamps on the sky? Fireflies? Some sort of more monstrous, epic answer? Waddles couldn’t figure properly. Of course, he was subjected to the limited intellectual capabilities of his species and his limited knowledge of the language of his humans (He was sure Dipper knew the answer, but he could never figure how exactly answer him something). So, all he had to work his theories was his knowledge about the world around him.

Blankets. He remembered the many times he was under them. When playing with Mabel or making company to Dipper in some nocturnal reading, or when he caught himself being covered by his personal blanked by Ann when he took some snap. He knew when a blanket covers your eyes and you keep them opened, you can see tiny dots of light trespassing the fabric. The world being covered with a gigantic blanked and the dots of light being indeed holes of the sky’s fabric? It sounded as a good answer.

But what lay behind the sky’s fabric covering the Earth? It has to be majestic, it has to be beyond his capabilities to understand beauty and feel inspiration. It had to be very, very delicious.

That moment, unknown to Waddles, he was going to have a glimpse of that.

His left ear lifted at the sound of something hitting quickly other something.

Was something going wrong? Waddles didn’t lose time; maybe his humans needed help. He stood over his hooves and turned around, rising his head to catch any alarming smell it could indicate danger. Fire, blood, mud, human’s fear, were his located entries. He turned around everywhere, walking ceaseless around the house’s entrance, waiting for a scream, for another sound which could indicate him to break his polity boundaries and break his way inside the house to assist his humans in battle, when he noticed the sound repeating itself, and some roars coming from the dining room’s window.

Waddles ran towards the window’s direction, to the other side of the backyard crossing the house’s corner, and stood there, ready to fight. His breath was fast and his heart pumping fast; he was ready to pose a threat to whatever could be trying to hurt his humans.

Then it saw it.

Breaking through the window, launching counted glass shards over the grass, a greyish, tentacled beast of translucent skin fell on the greenish ground. It was as big as him, standing like a fierce dinosaur over two hooved legs, its tail whipping furiously, and two bat-like wings opened in the air.

The creature appeared to notice Waddles presence, and roared distortedly at him.

He was ready to jump over it and not let it go, but the beast waved its wings and flew away, disappearing on the darkness.

Sure, the beast was scared by his intimidating presence, Waddles inferred, and oinked triumphantly at the sky. So that was it, just another monster who dared to mess with his humans, nothing to worry about. Waddles approached to the shards on the grass, and cautiously smelled them, in search of a scent that could give him a clue of the beast’s presence if it ever dared to come back.

There it was, the smell. It was strange, out-of-the-charts, something he felt he should be afraid for. But he wasn’t. Joyful for the fact he didn’t hear any scream, he came back to his resting spot, and rested his tummy on the now-fresh grass.

Unknown to him, he had glimpsed what lays beyond the blanket of the sky.


	14. My Biggest Secret

It had been a hell of a year. At least, the first four months.

Aiden had to endure the whole ordeal of the twin’s scheme to tell the truth to their parents at the same time he had to begin to watch for college applications, his nasty father, his cold mother, manage some brief supernatural crisis in the way, and everything stacked together with Ellen in the middle. And he was beginning to fall under the pressure.

His last duties within the gym finished more or less at the same time the disastrous night came to be, so he had the partial relief of acknowledge he wasn’t alone anymore with the twin’s secret and he had more time for Ellen. But that added the fact that now he had to explain to his parents why he was suddenly more closed to the whole Pines family, and since Mabel’s incident, his father was getting riot at the least sight of a pine tree in the landscape.

Then, the menace of the last tests, the results of the applications, and some other things came around, and he couldn’t feel more stressed about. He hadn’t the will to tell his parents about the Pines, or tell any of the Pines the problems his closeness to them was causing, or tell Ellen about the whole ordeal, much less Connor. Raise the topic would easily be to raise the main questions whose main answers were forbidden to talk about, but Ellen was noticing he was more stressed than the usual, and he wasn’t denying it. Connor for his side, was too focused in another myriad of cosmic problems he wasn’t discussing with Aiden, something that was troubling him even more, partly because he was now letting Aiden hang up when he summoned him, and he had just gruesome ideas of why it would be happening (mostly born from his previous experiences with extradimensional oddities).

Even worse, Grunkle Ford had trusted him a memory gun, instructing him to use it just in case Dipper and Mabel’s relationship was discovered by whoever could be, and every day he opened that secret spot bellow his bed he had to resist his urges to use it on his parents, on the twins, on his parents, on Ellen… On himself.

May came, and Aiden Zimmerman was sure he was going to have an ulcer.

But then that day came.

There was this spot on his week’s new schedule in which he had a free hour. Ellen wasn’t available for it, neither his friends. So he had that time alone for himself, and very casually, he had discovered this park not so far from there where he could spend some time before to go back to the next class.

He didn’t remember the excuse he used to be allowed to go from school, but he was on his way there before he could figure it properly. Unexpectedly he had turned into a very god liar, and he questioned himself if that was a good thing.

Less than ten minutes later, he was parking his van in there and getting out to walk a little.

It wasn’t much after that he discovered that walk around was not an effective way to relax himself; he had done a lot of walk back in his training, and sure it wasn’t anything that could inspire him to feel calmed. So, in the middle of the park, he spotted a bank.

It looked like a very nice place to just sit and do nothing. It had a nice shade (courtesy of a high tree just behind the bank), it had a nice view to the grass field where many other people who had the chance in the middle of their busy schedules could spend a good time; even better, it was available.

Decidedly, Aiden walked towards the bank to just sit down and have a breath away from all the things he had to worry about. No parents nor friends nor Ellen nor cosmic inferences upon his life, only him and the grass scent getting inside his nostrils… until he spotted who was walking towards the same bank from the opposite side of the sidewalk.

Dressed with her deep-blue office attires, low heels on her feet, and a little lunch backpack on her right hand, Ann Pines herself was standing in front of him, equally confused.

“Aiden?” Ann exclaimed with confusion.

“Mrs. Pines?” Aiden exclaimed as well, more or less at the same time and tune in his voice. Both chuckled nervously, each raising an arm to take the other’s hand.

“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to find you here, wha – what are you doing here? Hadn’t you classes?” Ann asked as he took his hand.

“Yeah is just I had a free hour and I wanted to… take a breath!” He replied with serene joy as he let her hand go.

“Well – if you want I don’t mind a little of company, here’s where I rest at day, I’m not away from work” Ann said, extending the hand towards the bank.

“Wait, do you mean that same bank?” Aiden pointed out.

“I bet you saw this is the best spot to rest as I did” Ann inferred with enthusiasm.

“Kinda” Aiden answered, looking away with a smile.

“So, what do you say? I always bring an extra sandwich with me for such occasions” Ann asked again, raising her lunch wallet.

“Sure, why not?” Aiden said back.

So both sat on the park bank, Ann taking out a pair of sandwiches; one for herself and other for Aiden. For a moment, both just munched in silence as they looked at the happy people around them, playing on the grass field. Aiden was cursing himself in his mind, it was like he hadn’t a possible escape from his life, not even when any possible way came from himself. But, for now, the sandwich was pretty good.

“So… How’s the school going?” Ann asked, Aiden turning to watch her.

“School? Ehm – Good good, it is all going good, no trouble at all, all fine” Aiden said insistently. “How about work?”

“Completely boring today. I usually come here to calm down from office, but today it seems I have nothing to relax from” Ann said back with a clear tune of confidence in her voice. Aiden looked away as if Ann had just gotten he was just rambling. “Don’t worry Aiden, I knew you were nervous. I have two children, I have plenty of motherly experience being aware of someone avoiding worries” She said with softer voice. “What worries you?”

Aiden got slightly stuck that moment. He had to remember he had to avoid Dipper and Mabel’s deal and his family’s deal and not telling Ellen about nothing at the same time, until he got aware that Ann actually knew at least the most direct part of his secrets… So, to hell with keep that worry anymore, at least with her. He sighed aloud and put his elbows over his knees, ready to confess.

“I… God, I don’t know where to begin with” Aiden exclaimed with a chuckle. Ann replied with a littler chuckle, giving another bite to her sandwich before to answer.

“Do you know why do you liked me so fast when I met you?” Ann asked.

“Iiii guess h had never asked myself about” He replied with some bewilderment.

“You are a little like my husband. You’re protective, attentive, always looking for everyone else and their needs. But you also keep yourself your problems. In some way I used to be like that too; trust people can be hard to if you’re alone with something” She began to say. “I feel you’re still feeling it with that”

The way she was looking at him, so much motherly warm, it was something he hadn’t ever experienced. She knew exactly what to say and how to say it, that he felt the need to be sincere with her, in a way he hadn’t felt even with his own mother (she was prone to underestimate or make him to feel awkward without even notice it).

“My parents… No, Dad; he’s angry ‘cause I’m close to you. He argues all the f*cking time _why I am so seriously so attached to the family of my ex and how long am I keeping that cr*p_ and I’m can’t talk with Dipper or Mabel about that ‘cause they’ll begin to guard distance and I’m supposed to take care of them from my zone and Ford just gave me a goddamn memory gun and told me to use it if necessary and I just hold the urges to use on everyone and end this sh*t!...”

Before he could be aware of, he was breathing hard and his eyes were moisty. And even with that he was feeling oddly… relieved.

“Did it hurt?” Ann asked with some irony.

“A little, but I guess that’s how it is supposed to feel” Aiden exclaimed with unexpected joy. Ann sighed, and her expression lost a little of merriness.

“Who told you that you had to take care of them?” She asked seruosly, but not losing her warm.

“No I mean – I don’t think they’re not capable of handle their own lives is just… They took care of me. They really, really took care of me when everyone else just looked away, and I…”

“You want to feel yourself worth of them” Ann said with even warmer voice.

It was that… _a little cracked tune?_

“Well… yes, that’s what I want” He finally admitted “They just did… so much, more than anyone else I could know” He said with contained tune as he looked away once more. It was sure that say they gave their lives to try to save the universe in a cosmic disaster that everyone but him had forgotten was going to get things even worse than he already knew they were. Even then, Ann caught what he said.

“Believe you’re the worthiest person you could possibly _be –_ ” Ann began to say.. and then she sniffed, her voice had gotten practically broken at the point she stopped. He raised his head from his position and looked at her. She put a hand over his knee, and looked him right on his eyes. “You took care of our children when anyone else in the chance could’ve ruined their lives. Even we could’ve done that if the _mememorph_ or whatever it was hadn’t appeared and we just had kept the first impression. If you have even the chance to be a father, and I hope you to have it, you’ll know what you did for us means”

There it was, pure motherly inctint, raw and soft. He couldn’t help himself but sniff at the moment. He hadn’t to bear it himself alone anymore. He was having a little of what to have adult friends meant. And he was loving it.

“Hah!...” He threw a laugh as he looked away “Are we so dramatic? I mean we’re actually crying” Aiden exclaimed. Ann laughed as well, they definitively had the right to be it after what they had endured.

“Is it for less?” Ann asked humorously.

“I guess not” Aiden said joyfully.

“One day I can tell you a little about my life and Aaron’s, that was an actual mess of weeping” Ann said with defiant happiness.

“It can be here, if you please” Aiden suggested with a warm tune.

“Yeah” Ann said as she looked away at the grass field. “It can be here”

“Next time I bring some sodas, the sandwich felt a little dry” Aiden said.

“Heh, it was the drama. I will talk with Ford, have one of those things is a bad ordeal for what I know” Ann said with a caution tune.

“Thanks” Aiden said wamly.

“Thanks to you, Aiden” Ann said back. “Thanks to you”


	15. Causal Oblivion

“… Oh right o right o right hold on” Mabel interrupted, sat on her individual couch on the councelor’s room, legs crossed and hair on a complicated, seemingly professional style. “So, and let me retell it” She instructed towards the angry boyfriends on the long couch in front of her. “You. Hough, you told he said to you to see him at the pool ad midnight, nice spot for a date if I you let me say it…”

“Yes it is, is someone had assisted…” Hough asserted, looking at Henry with darting eyes.

“Excuse me?! You…”

“Shush shush shush shush!” Mabel interrupted them, waving furiously her hands, pen and paper holder in hands. “Miss. Carwraith begged for me to talk to you two ‘cause you were messing around with this _endless_ thing and we’re not going to leave until we _finish_. Ok?” She reassured, pointing at them with her pen. Henry crossed his strong arms, dismayed, rolling his eyes away.

“Ok” He said.

“Good” Mabel continued “so, you told him to find him at the pool and you told him to find him at his house” Mabel said, pointing at Henry.

“Yeah that’s what I told him – “ Henry asserted.

“You didn’t - !”

A noisy claxon interrupted the incoming arguing, both boys looking at Mabel. There was a moment in which both tried to talk again, and Mabel turned on the claxon at the sight of their mouths opening.

“Ok, For bleebertrillionth time!” Mabel shouted, to just after close her eyes and breath deeply. Then she opened them, and addressed to them in a much calmed way. “Look guys, for a moment, try to imagine both are telling the truth”

“Bu –“ Hough tried to interrupt.

“Keep the line, Robertson!” Mabel shouted at him, Henry making a face of amuse and fright at the same time. “As I said, try to imagine both are right. Don’t care how, just do it. Got it?!”

“Yeaaah we get it” Henry answered.

“Good” Mabel repeated. “So, imagining that, looking completely away from how the heck happened… How you guys could describe what’s between you?” She asked.

“Well…” Henry said, rubbing his nap as he blushed “He’s smart and funny and he always knows how to make me laugh when I’m all down and he listens and don’t mock and me when I want to say… something clever but I just can’t” He said, giving Hough a warm smile.

“Good job, Henry” Mabel congratulated him. “Now it’s your turn Hough”

“Ok…” Hough replied, jointing the tips of his hands and panting aloud “He’s… strong; in everything he does, he never gives up. Heeee’s always up for what I want to do no matter how weird he thinks it could be and he’s so supportive with me… Uh! Good kisser, he’s a really good kisser, 10 of 10” Hough said, looking at him with a wide smile.

“Nice words, Hough, nice words” Mabel congratulated him “ I see you have a good chemistry. Are you being serious just letting all of that go just for whatever could’ve happened?” Mabel asked, extending her hands towards them. The youngsters looked one each other, apologetic glances meeting in the way, hands going near until Henry’s hand was over Hough’s hand.

“I –“ Hough tried to say.

“Well… no!” Henry asserted with a nervous smile.

“I – guess I had to look for the weirdness, I’m the clever guy” Hough asserted.

“And I had to learn how to listen just as you do instead of going all denying in the way” Henry admitted.

“Everything ok, then?” Hough asked with a hopeful smile. Henry smiled at the moment and stole him a hard kiss, making him to flush like a red lamp. Then he got apart from Hough’s lips, their foreheads resting together. “I really love when you answer with kisses”

“Let’s not do that again, ok?” Henry said with tender voice.

“Promised” Hough said merrily. “But wait” Her interrupted, raising his head from Henry’s. “How the whole thing happened then – “

“Well! No time left for this session!” Mabel interrupted with a clapping of hands, raising from the couch and ordering them to do the same with a gesture of her hands. Once they were stood, Mabel pushed them back to the door, opening it and pushing him out. “Don’t be afraid for ask for help next time I’ll be glad to help, and remember the basics of the romance deal; long talks, short walks, safe sex, light dinners and all along, byeeee” Mabel said quickly, to just after shut the door on their faces, as both looked each other with utter bewilderment.

“Ooooook I won’t pretend I know what just happened” Hough reassured.

“Well I think she was just busy” Henry concluded with a relaxed smile, putting his arm over Hough’s shoulders. “Now, what did she told about…”

“Whohoho you naughty” Hough said with a flirtatious expression, as both boys walked away across the corridor.

Inside the counseling room, the things were pretty much less calmed.

Mabel fell on the couch within a hard sigh, passing her hand over her face, to just after take the paper holder to read the notes. It was the sixth time on a week she had to resolve another dispute with a couple, and she was beginning to see a patron in all of this.

All began a couple of weeks ago with Dave and Kathy over a thing that seemed simple, a dressing option deal; nothing too serious. But over the course of the next days, other clients of her matchmaking service had begun to have similar disputes, and Mabel, a proud matchmaker, didn’t resist the call for help when she heard it. But then, other couples out of her influence sphere began to have spontaneous discussions like those ones, and then the teachers, and then Miss Carwraith, and then her class. It was like some sort of living argue was wandering around seeding chaos on the merry couples of Piedmont High (not a too-strange idea, after the things she and Dipper had experienced before), and she was passing from have a sense of professional duty towards the problem, to genuinely be worried about it. Dipper had his own theories about the stress of the last days or the incoming of the college times or even some unsorted consequence of the weather, but a closer inspection, and Mabel noticed something in common in every case she attended.

Pride.

Every time the discussion happened, it had to do about a “Cracking topic” about the relationship. In Hough and Henry’s case, their conversational capabilities; in Miss Carwraith’s case, their problems choosing things, and many other examples. The something that was causing all of this was careful, meticulous, precise. It wasn’t just a sort of living clash jumping from a defenseless couple to the next, it had to be a someone, it had to have a way to know people, to understand people, to manipulate people, to… supplant people.

Red alarms in Mabel’s mind echoed when he scrolled around her mental list of monsters she and Dipper had faced before, and there was only a monster who was the enough manipulative and fast learning with the ability of supplant people and feed on emotional disorder. Then she remembered the broken window in dining room the night of the dinner. Clues were undeniable, the tracking of events could not mean another thing.

“Could it be…” Mabel said to herself, sitting more properly over the couch, looking at the notes as she scrolled around the papers. “Oh no…”

Four fast knocks on the door sounded, and Mabel looked to the door. It opened slowly, and Dipper’s head peeped out, him smiling with content.

“Hey there, Mabes” Dipper said.

“Gosh you just freaked the Mabel out, man. Pass, this is important” Mabel said, putting a hand over her chest and inviting him to pass.

“I fear I can’t, Mabes; it’s a quick thing” Dipper said back with a dismissing voice.

“I think we need to check this out now, Dipper; I feel something huge happening…” Mabel said, standing in front of the sofa.

“Nah I can’t” Dipper dismissed anticlimactically.

Mabel was about to yell about how he couldn’t take her seriously until a fast look as his completely relaxed expression told her the truth. Dipper couldn’t ever look that relaxed, much less dismiss something that could worry her (sometimes it was him the one worrying about her problems before she was even aware). A look at his eyes; the man she loved and knew her entire life wasn’t there. That thing was a mere shell, that thing wasn’t Dipper at all.

“Oh no…” Mabel shouted, giving her first step of an intended run to close the door. A bulbous, crystalline object peeped out, a thing Mabel recognized with terror…

_Zap!_

“… Mhmm… I want to sleep forever” She said raspy, as she stretched her whole body and opened her eyes. She was sleeping on the couch of the counseling room, for some reason. She rolled her eyes, looking around to give herself an idea of why she was sleeping there. She took the cellphone from her pocket; it was 10:45, just in time to her next class. “Weird” She told to herself.

Then, a fast memory. Hough and Henry sit on the longer couch, and Mabel smiled with pride. “True, the Alpha Matchmaker in action” She said with a relaxed smile. Sure she fell asleep after such case, nothing more. Quickly, she fixed her hair, stood up from the couch, took her backpack, and walked out from the counseling room.

It was the day they were going to receive the yearbooks, and she wasn’t going to lose it…


	16. Dance with Me

  * Pines Residence; Piedmont, California. The Night of the Graduation Ball, near 8:00PM…



“…Just give me a moment, Dipper, I almost make this thing work” Aaron said as he tried to move the tiny dial of the silver collar piece, as Dipper tried to fix his bowtie in the mirror.

“Dad, the instructions are on the box, just read them” Dipper reassured for n-sim time, rolling his eyes with disdain.

“They just don’t work, this goddamn thing doesn’t freaking work!” He yelled in exasperation.

“Dad, the instr- “

“Instructions are for mere mortals Dipper, I got an enginery dergee. Besides – How the hell Ford made this thing?! It looks like it is made out of pieces of… floppy disks and is that peanut butter?!” Aaron said with exasperation as he turned around to watch Dipper looking himself at the corridor’s mirror. Dipper made hip an apologetic glance, and Aaron sighed with exasperation. “Fine, I’ll try it. But be aware the man who made this wanted to a dangerous mind-erasing weapon to be delivered by mail, I don’t blame Aiden for it to having arrived broken” Aaron asserted with disdain.

Dipper walked along his father and took the paper with the instructions.

“Ok, Let’s do this” Dipper said. “Did you plug the battery’s extremes to the tiny cables?”

“Done”

“Twirled the black half until the peanut butter moves to left?”

“Done too”

“Put the little hook which says ‘ _extra-floppy’_ on place?”

“I did that too! What the heck means that anyway?”

“Twirled the latched black piece back in place?”

“Ahm..” Aaron sighed, and moved the tiny piece on the necklace back in place. Immediately, the tiny grey line shined in green; the device was ready. “Ok, let’s try it” He said, handling the collar to his son.

Dipper put the silver lance around his neck, and pressed the little button in the metallic object.

“Woah” Aaron exclaimed. “It works”

There it was Dipper, as it has been all that time, but Aaron couldn’t distinguish his features on his face. Right now, he knew his son was just in front of him but he couldn’t process his identity as his.

“How do you know…?”

“Holy heck even your voice sounds that _neutral_ ” Aaron exclaimed in surprise. “Quick, say something”

“Ehmm something?” Dipper said, looking away awkwardly.

“F*ck” Aaron sweared softly. “Ok, that’s a point for Ford”

“Did it work?” Ann’s voice distracted them, her coming from the kitchen. “Wow Dipper, you look so… anonymous” She said as she made a bewildered expression on her face. “Wait, are you really my son?”

The young man looked at her with disdain and took the metallic piece, pushing a tiny, unnoticeable black button, and it was Dipper again.

“It hurts my own mother can’t recognize me at sight” Dipper replied with irony.

“Aww but you were a handsome anonymous” She said, kissing his cheek.

“Thanks, Mom”

Right then, Waddles came running from the stairs and stopped to look at his humans, his tail moving with awe.

“There I go!” Everyone heard a high-pitched yelling coming from the stairs, and turned to see. There it was Mabel, walking slowly downstairs. She was dressing a deep-pink dress with spongy details on its edges, no sleeves and a purple lace on her highly-detailed hairstyle, like some sort of greek goddess. Another purple lace was on her left arm, and a golden bracelet on her right one, her black comfy shoes perfectly designed to burn an entire night in dance and jumps.

Dipper looked at her like he couldn’t believe what his eyes were looking at.

_Is this gorgeous lady really going with me tonight? Does she really want to be with me?_

“You’re beautiful” Dipper said. He had said that several times across all this years; like a way to cheer her up when she was depressed or insecure, or when she had the urges to presume her new costumes to him, or even, more recently, on her accustomed romantic chatter in the confidence of home. But this time, he said it in the way; he pronounced those words in the soft, given up tune he felt inspired to use, to make her to know she was the one he felt so unpronounceable lucky for have to share their lives, as a testament of all the adventures and precious little moments and painful endurances they had to accomplish to match on their lives in the way they were meant to do it. Tonight, he declared to her she was his mate.

And Mabel got it exactly in the way he said it.

They remained quiet, backfired inside their unique and bonded cycle of emit the love they had for each other, their eyebrows in the right soothing way that could make anyone outside their moment to fall prey of their admiration and glance at it in the way one stares at an art piece.

Then the ring sounded.

A tiny dot of disappointment cut their sweet exchange of glances. At least for tonight, Dipper wasn’t meant to be Dipper.

Ann walked towards the door as he pushed the black button again, Mabel’s eyebrows rising at the sight of un-personalizing his brother suffered in front of her own eyes. Mabel finished her way downstairs when they heard Aiden and Ellen’s voices and Dipper walked towards the living room. Their personal chariot had arrived just in time.

“Hi there, Mabel!” Ellen said with enthusiasm as both girls greeted each other “You look so radiant, how did you do that?”

“You also look pretty radsome, pal” Mabel said, winking in complicity at Aiden.

“Yeah yeah, that’s my precious girl tonight…” He said, taking her by her shoulders and giving her a kiss on the head.

“Hush there, Aids; it took an eternity to reach this hairstyle” Ellen dismissed with false pretention. “So bad Dipper won’t come with us, one would think even you could take that hermit from his cave”

“Ooorgh don’t worry about him, my friend. He’ll be fine” Mabel friendly dismissed, waving her hand. “Besides, it is time to you to know my date”

_Ok, let’s do this._

A young man of messy brown hair and blue smoking of greenish pants walked from the living room with a semi-pretentious stance. It looked… oddly handsome, as if his features were the face template of the entire human species, brightly neutral. Aiden must have gotten the same impression, because he was looking at him with a similar amount of bewilderment. Anyway, He extended his hand at the gentleman.

“Tyrone” The young man said with even more neutral voice as Aiden took his hand and tried to hold an ironic smile.

“Aiden, a pleasure” He said back, and his handshaking passed to Ellen.

“Ellen” She saluted him “Nice to meet you; Mabel doesn’t talk that much about you”

“I am kinda a secret, you know” the young man expressed with certain humor, rolling his eyes.

“Well, that’s a well-guarded secret, We got the best men in the dancefloor I guess” Ellen said friendly.

“Yep, we did it” Mabel exclaimed with enthusiasm, holding her date’s shoulders. “What are we waiting, then? Let’s roll, Aids!” She proclaimed triumphantly.

Ann took some photos at the couples, often giving some strange look at the cellphone, and after some brief exchanges of good wishes, the four teens walked out from the home, Mabel’s parents greeting them as they went away inside Aiden’s van.

“So” Ann said, looking at his husband, both at the house’s entrance “we have the house for us”

“Yeah I see” Aaron said, looking at her with a flirtatious expression. “Waddles, don’t go upstairs!” Aaron yelled, not looking away. Waddles squealed back, and the Pines parents closed the door as fast as two hands could do it.

-

Dressed with a preternatural mantle of human confusion, Dipper Pines was Tyrone, the handsome and charming new boyfriend of Mabel (luckily, he was better actor than he could’ve guessed not being in the need of pretending to be someone else).

Pretend to be someone else was a strange experience in various levels. For one hand, he had to endure what it was to be mentioned as if he wasn’t there, hearing the occasional comment of his hermit nature towards social events, and having instead to make fake statements he had to remember in a regular basis to not sound false (a trait he had learned from Stan and Mabel some time ago but had never the need to use as well). He could feel the newness in the glances of their friends, have to meet twice each one and knowing it was the last time before the graduation ceremony that all of them could be together on a place; at the same time he was tasting that, he was feeling like he wanted to do a more proper kind of last event; something to say ‘ _goodbye_ ’ before to immerse in the secrecy that be free to be with Mabel truly meant. Every time Aiden or Mabel spotted that glance of foretelling nostalgia in his face, they subtly made gestures of support for him to bear.

At the same time, it was like the dream of be out there in a normal life with her was already there. He could kiss her ardently in front of the crowds, be as corny and expressive about his love for her without fear of consequence or accusation of any kind. Mabel could spontaneously make romantic gestures and not have to look around; their friends were actually happy for see them so happy and joyful.

That night was a promise for the future for them in the world, it was a promise for a bright tomorrow.

So the night went on, the photos, the meetings and the discourses, as it had been promised. Then the dance came, and it was as funny as they expected. Dipper was the worst dancer on his own right, but Mabel the best guider one could get, and she was having fun for instruct him as Dipper following her. Noisy, something could say annoying, but definitively cute, they danced together in middle of laughs and comments, contaminating the probable awkward atmosphere with childish confidence and freedom. Even Hough, highly reluctant and fearful, ended accepting Henry’s request for a dance.

The Hidden Dipper and the Joyful Mabel enlightened the night.

Then the slow dances came, and the environment changed dramatically. Arms wrapped sweaty dresses, feet slowed down, breaths lowered, the illumination turned soft and pinkish; a soft Mabelian heaven.

The twins embraced each other, free to taste every second they had each other, any other couple the Mighty Matchin’ Matchmakers had joined together in the way dancing as well, an army of progress and happiness. There, they had time to talk about more serious matters; both knew such nights were going to get scarce, as scarce as far their places of study were going to be. That was what they had promised, to thrive and grow as persons, no matter what, to show they were worth of the love they were feeling.

But for now, they had each other.

“Could’ve you ever imagined we could do this?” Mabel asked softly, her chin recharged in her disguised brother’s arm.

“Not even on my wildest dream” Dipper replied softly, his cheek rubbing his sister’s hair.

“I know, those ones are for other stuff” Mabel said with a cheering flirtatious tune.

“You naughty girl” Dipper said back. “I love you” he said tenderly.

“I love you too-too” Mabel said back, smirking and chuckling.

“No. Seriously. _I love you_. With my whole heart. I have no idea where the heck this sudden wave of luck came to us, where all this friends and things came or how, but I’m so glad they came, and so glad for you to be here, with me. There were… so hard times in which I believed I was wicked for love you in the way I do and no matter how I try, sometimes I think I’ll just wake up and you’ll be away. I know we may run out of luck someday, I know things can get harder or stranger or more painful than we could possible imagine; but I don’t care. No matter if we become wealthy or if we end stuck in a goblin nest the rest of our lives. I’ll stand, for you, with you” 

Mabel went mute. But she wasn’t answerless at all. She responded in the way she knew best, the language he enjoyed most to be addressed by her; she spoke with her body. She knew, and she did, the precise amount of pressure in her arms, the precise slowing on her pace, the precise noise on her breath, the precise rubbing of her head against his chin she had to do. All what made him to understand she answering his promise with her own, to make him to understand her commitment to their choice was mutual, that she was going to stand for him, with him, against all the crazed things the future had awaiting for them.

The night could die now, they were ready, and at the same time they had all the time they wanted.

Tonight, the whole universe was kind.

“What are you looking at?” Ellen woke Aiden up from his soothed slumber as she handled him a punch glass. Even in peace, Aiden Zimmerman was never out of guard form the twins’ presence.

“Wha –? Nothing, I was just… listening the letter. I like this song” Aiden said quickly.

“Heh, do you like it?” Ellen teased him. It was obvious even for him the high levels of corniness in the whole composition.

“Maybe is someone else’s song” He said peacefully.

“Woah who are you and what you did with energized boyfriend?” She said on a chuckle.

“I can be deep sometimes” He said with a naughty glance towards her.

“I’d like to see that again” Ellen said back in the same way.

The music shifted to something more animated, and the happy couple instantly recognized which song was.

“Wai, that’s our – “ Ellen began to say.

“That’s our song” Aiden completed as amused as she was.

“No way could we skip that one. Come; now” Ellen ordered, and Aiden happily let himself to be dragged to the dance floor. It was their turn to get all romantic, and their best way to be it was to be intense and noisy, perfect for the strong song. As crazed as they had learned from the twins, they were quoting every single word on the letter, each one taking turns as they danced and jumped like on a rock concert. Dipper and Mabel, still embraced, laughed at the sight of them playfully singing aloud, often stomping accidentally someone in the way.

“Do you thing we broke them with our vibes?” He asked after a brief chuckle.

“I don’t think they mind. Look at them; aren’t they cute?” Mabel replied with irony.

“My crazy girl” He said tenderly as they kissed, letting the noisy singing to keep going on.

Aiden and Ellen laughed and screamed and kissed hard, to just then hug each other, filled with energy, still chuckling, almost breathless.

It was the best night Aiden could have prayed for have. His girl with him, his friends safe and happy, his entire life promising to get better along all the people he had met in the way. Destiny was on his favor, future making thumbs up.

He was free, and he was happy. Life could only get better.

…Until it didn’t.

He saw her shape among the crowd, like a ghost from the past, like a thing never meant to be seen again. But there it was, looking at him with her fiery, characteristic glance of the girl called Mason Pines.

Life had still another test for him, and he wasn’t even fully aware of its nature.

“Oh sh*t “


	17. Ellaiden

  * _Collins Residence; second floor. More or less a month ago, near 5:00PM…_



_Something was popping trough Ellen’s mind. Usually, Aiden seemed quite alleviated after their physical affairs; highly touchy and tender, much for his own pride and her total delight. Furthermore, after a highly harsh season her boyfriend had endured, he had turned into pretty much a more intense lover than before. Of course, that was even more pleasuring for her, but she couldn’t help herself but to detect some quote of… sadness over him when they intimated. His kisses on her neck, his rubbing on her face, his strong hands pressing her hips; all of that was charged of a strong pull of sorrow she couldn’t ignore; she knew despite he was making his best to make her to feel good, he wasn’t feeling as good as her at all. It was almost like he was feeling that nothing he could do was being enough good (and she was more than clear that he was wrong in that, noisily clear)._

_Aiden Zimmerman was confident, protective, and always willing to help others, but he was taking something for himself that, and she was every time more convinced he couldn’t bear with it for himself and its influence was expanding over his whole being. Every day he was sadder, quieter, and his lovemaking more despaired and sorrowful. She wanted to give him his space to deal with whatever he wasn’t talking about, but what he expressed with his body was making her to know he was begging for help and not wanting it at the same time. And she passed her feelings for him from being happy around him to making him to be happy a long time ago._

_If that wasn’t love, she had no idea what it was._

_Ironically, the day she said ‘enough, I’ll tell him’ was the day he suddenly changed his intimate behavior. Maybe he was more calmed and maybe a less touchy, but knowing he was enjoying and that smiley dots on his pleasured face it was equally appealing for her. Lovemaking was on the mind too, apparently._

_And now there he was, resting at her side on her bed, looking at the roof like he was machinating something. His inner dialogue, obvious on his micro expressions, and his sudden change of rhythm, were pointing at something. He was deciding to tell her the truth._

_He rolled his eyes and smiled. “What?” He asked._

_“Will you tell me?” She said back. His smile faded away, but this time it wasn’t followed by sadness. His calculative glance came back, as he put his hands bellow his head._

_“I’m thinking how. I… Pfff, I know you’ve been worried for me, and of all the people of the world right now you’re the one who deserves an explanation most. But it is just…”_

_“It is a kind of criminal-like thing?” Ellen asked, frowning with a slight trail of suspicion she couldn’t just take away from every single of her questions._

_“No, no no, nothing like that. Well, that I hope….”_

_“Aideeeen” Ellen inquired. A ‘well’ was never a good thing to say._

_“I mean – it is just I could seriously blow your mind in so many ways and I can just think about what happened with the ghost” Aiden inquired, rolling over his body to face her. He raised a hand and took it straight to her cheek. “I know you could feel better just for knowing what’s going on with me but… Try to imagine that is the supernatural mixed with a very delicate topic all along in a way I can’t believe I survived”_

_“Do you really need to me to know it, don’t you?”_

_“I’ve been thinking a lot about it and… I want a future, with you on it. And I know someday that huge thing will come and I’ll have to explain a lot of things”_

_“You’re surprisingly good on it, you know?” Ellen asserted with a raised eyebrow. Aiden chuckled, caressing her cheek._

_“I know. Let’s do something. I’ll tell you when I can show you for myself”_

_“Or…” Ellen began to say, rolling herself upon him, recharging her fists aside his head “maybe I can make out my way to the truth”_

_“I wouldn’t bother you try it” Aiden said back with a long grin, the chatter losing itself between kisses and rubbing of hands…_

  * Piedmont High; Piedmont, California. Near midnight.



“Oh, sh*t” Aiden suddenly pronounced, looking at some place beyond the crowd of people.

“What?” Ellen quickly asked, totally confused.

Aiden was cornered. Light-heartened as he was right now, he hadn’t enough mind straightness to summon whatever good excuse could he use to make his way out of the place to follow the face of his past into another surely deadly adventure for the sake of the entire Creation. But then, a fast idea. He was sure the time to talk with Ellen about it could take him for surprise; why not right now? An old friendly face could be more than useful for such task. 

Aiden quickly went from stammer nervously to glance at her with determination.

“Girlfriend, It is time”

“Do you mean…?”

“Yes. Right now. Well – if you want…”

Ellen darted her eyes, took his hand tight and raised it.

“I’m in. Show me” She said on a brave smile.

Aiden smiled too, and with hands still held together, dragged her out of the dance floor.

Before Ellen could notice it, they were already following a mysterious girl of purple cap, straight inside the dark corridors of the school.

She ran oddly fast, them having a little of trouble in follow her as she twirled around the corridor’s corners, Aiden was no bothering in ask himself the why or the how of Mason actually was in his universe; his thrill was more focused in finally have someone else to share the most dangerous, strangest, and after all he had endured, the most fantastical experience he had experienced.

Of course, there were chances about it. Chances about the things going really bad or really good, of menaces beyond his understanding or Connor’s knowledge to be present… or maybe chances to see The Doctor again. 

Then, almost out of the building near the stadium’s doors, the girl stopped.

Aiden and Ellen were out of breath; definitively the girl had taken her toll on the run

“Wa… Wait a…. Wait a holy… Uff!” She panted aloud, out of breath, Aiden still giving a more few steps to reach his old friend from the other side of the Multiverse. The girl was standing at the left of the corridor, looking at him with seriousness, uncanny and unfriendly seriousness.

“Mason? Is that really you?” Aiden asked, his joy fading away as he noticed the strange expression upon his friend’s face. Bur if he knew her as he knew Dipper, she sure wouldn’t want to be approached in a moment of distress, despite the happiness of meet each other again.

“It is coming” the girl with blue boots and a purple cap told him with raspy voice.

“What is coming? Are you alone in here? Mason I need to know…” Aiden insisted.

“They are coming. There is not time” She kept telling to him. Ellen slowly recovered herself, and walked where Aiden was, as she tried to comprehend the specifics of the whole situation. There it was, a strange girl on common clothes and an odd similarity to the Pines twins. In fact, it looked like she was a stockier version of Mabel. Those were the first seconds of a sudden change of events, and things had already gone far beyond her expectations; whatever it was, it was to be huge.

“Mason… Wait” Aiden stopped his speech dry. There was something wrong with her, he couldn’t summon the answer, but he knew he was feeling it… That, until it saw his answer over her head. “Your cap. You lost your cap on the TARDIS. Is the Doctor…?”

“Which doctor?” the girl asked with disdain, not changing her tone or spotting the reference, not looking the least changing at all.

Aiden’s pupils widened. Mason was clever, of fluid tempers and quick, not losing time in making asking obvious questions or things alike, and of course, never trying to appear mysterious. That thing whose aims were static as stone, couldn’t be the true Mason; that thing was not Mason at all. He almost immediately understood what it was, and it was the worst scenario he could summon at the moment…

“You’re not Mason; aren’t you?” Aiden asked, giving a step backward. “Stay behind” he instructed to Ellen, putting a hand in front of her.

The girl began to laugh, looking at the floor in a frightening way, a she bent down her chest. The laugh was high and annoying, familiarly annoying; almost like… Leigh’s?

Aiden wanted to run, to take Ellen away the fastest he could, but also he knew anything the being could say had to work for a plan; he was still needing to know _what_ exactly it was, and not drive himself for his previous knowledge; it could be something entirely new and more dangerous...

“Oh mine” the girl said, still laughing. “I can’t believe I forgot that but… being fair, you cheat on your own memories”. The girl stood right again, and looked at the couple. “I guess I became careless but you know, after our last fight I had to take certain PRECAUTIONS…”

The girl’s head dissolved like fast forward ice into bluish, sticky goo, moisturizing her grayish jacket. A maw of bulky teeth on pinkish gums came up from where her neck once was. Her arms became wiggly, brownish masses of flesh, ramifying like horridly detailed fractals out of tiny crystal.

“Time to die forever, Aiden-Maiden-Raven-Naiven-Paylem-Praymen…” The being spoke as it walked step by step to them and its voice turned into one every word deeper and deeper.

Aiden turned his head to see Ellen and instruct her to run, but her frightened glance said it all. She was too tired to run.

Luckily, he was the athletic one of them.

Not losing a single second, he took her hips with his arms and put her on her shoulder, running as hell as the beast began to roar wildly and began to give them chase.

“COME TO DIE FOREVEEEEER!!!!!” The creature grunted aloud.

_Come on come on come on where we hide where we hide… There!_

Ellen looked impotent how the beast ran behind them, its body losing humanity every step it made; its boots becoming hooves, its skin turning glassy, its maw of teeth having every more waving tentacles around. No way she could have the least idea of what to do, but she was sure she wasn’t the least willing to leave Aiden alone with this, no matter how madder the things were getting.

_Oh god oh god oh god, keep chill girl, keep chill!_

Of course, end as a bag to charge wasn’t exactly in her list of backup plans.

Aiden got inside of the first opened door he spotted, closed it with a fast kick, and quick and softly put Ellen over the floor as he ran fast towards the door to hold it from be opened.

Ellen frantically looked around herself in search of something to stack the door. They were inside a classroom, perfect for her. She stood and took the first table she saw, pulling towards Aiden. He nodded, and she put it in front of the door to next go for another and another.

“NOOOOOO!” The monster yelled behind the door, as Ellen made her best to lift the tables one over the other, giving Aiden the enough push to lock the door’s latch and walk away in search of more tables. “LET ME IN! LET ME IIIIIIN!!!”

Finally, the whole door was enough stacked of tables for the monster to try to get in, so the punches over its wooden surface finished very soon. Aiden and Ellen made a pair of steps back each one, and then looked each other. There was a lot to discuss.

“So, she’s not an old friend, is she?” Ellen asked with a dot of humor.

“Less a friend than I would like – “

“Wait” Ellen interrupted. “Why was the door…”

They turned around the moment they noticed certain purplish shine over the walls of the classroom coming from a specific direction, and quickly spotted where it was coming from.

Bellow the front dashboard there was a trail of light, constantly shinning. Certain hum could be noticed as well coming from the light source, and Aiden quickly concluded why the door was opened.

They had arrived to the wolf’s mouth.

“Should we…?” Aiden suggested.

“After you” Ellen asserted as she got her cellphone from one of her dress’s pockets. They could need more help than they had expected…

The time of the romantic hits of the year came back to the dance floor, and this time it was Houghs’s turn. This time Henry was the high one in the dance, so was him the one who was wrapped between strong arms; he couldn’t help himself but to enjoy the irony in it.

“Plans? For now?” Henry asked the simplest he could summon a coherent answer.

“You. Me. Room. Now” Hough said tenderly and inciting.

“Wohoho! that’s a full” Henry exclaimed.

“But. What about some…” Hough began to say, every time lower as they approached their lips, eyes closing and words fading…

_Ring! Ring Ring!..._

Henry opened his eyes wide, a weirded expression on his face; Hough closed his eyes tight, a clear expression of disdain on his. He knew it was his phone.

“Da sh*t!...” Hough sweared aloud.

“Hey hey, your language, Master” Henry said back, still trying to keep the atmosphere.

“Ehmm – Wait a minute, hold it there” Hough said, raising a finger over Henry’s lips as he took his phone from his pocket. “I hope this to be a life-or-death thing” He said frustrated, when he saw Ellen’s contact on the screen. Not losing a moment, he took the call. “Here the wreckage of the Romance Train, I hope it to be good whatever – “

“ _Bring the sword to the classroom 25, now. No time to explain_ ” Ellen interrupted him thru the phone.

“Oh” Hough exclaimed in a low tune.

“ _Be careful, don’t trust anyone_ ” Ellen said.

“I’ll be there in 2” Hough asserted, and hung up the phone. Then he looked at Henry with a painful expression. “Ehmm, I got to help Aiden and Ellen in something, not to interesting…”

“it’s everything ok? I can help –“

“No no no! All fine – just a thing of our gang” Hough said as he began to give some steps back. “I’ll be back soon; have romantic ideas; _You and me, me and you, both of us together!_ ” He said on a singing voice, to just after run away surprisingly fast for his complexion.

“Ehm.. Ok, I’ll wait” Henry said to himself, clapping his forelegs with his hands on an awkward expression.

-

There was a hole beneath the dashboard which was emanating a shiny purple light, almost blinding.

“I must tell it: if the thing was too worried for us to be here it hasn’t any backup” Ellen hurried to tell. Aiden looked at her with surprise; really she was brave.

“Wow, you’re right” Aiden asserted. “Well, we must figure out all of this, I’ll go first”

Aiden sat in front of the hole, and put his legs inside. Instantly, he spotted apparently solid irregularities he interpreted as echelons, so carefully he got inside as Ellen made a last look at the classroom. Just in case she ran to the chalkboard and took the metallic meter that was there; better a frail weapon that no weapon at all. Then she followed him thru the hole.

It didn’t take too much for them to reach the bottom of the hole. The whole scene was, at least, surrealist, Aiden and Ellen being as astonished as they had to be.

Surrounded by viscous, crystalline walls of pink-greenish shine, there was a gigantic monticule of blue, glassy orbs; each one as big as them, ovoid in shape and containing what it looked like a little beast inside, whose shape Aiden recognized very well when he approached to them. The whole monticule was organized in the way of a sand clock, every few seconds, what looked like a wave of energy flowed from the rounded walls and made the eggs to shine as well, the creatures inside shaking vividly in response.

“Ok, this is bad; not as bad as I expected but definitively bad” Aiden inquired, as he approached his hand to one of the eggs”

“Aiden you’re not touching thaaaaa… you touched it” Ellen said as he put his hand over the crystalline surface. Immediately, the egg sparkled, making Aiden to jump back; Ellen not knowing if she had to scream or laugh.

Any response could wait; the surface of the egg emitted a next response”

 _“No No No No! I told you to not do it! DO it AGAIN…!”_ they saw the image of a bald man yelling at them. For the way the weak voice of the unseen person answered, Aiden quickly concluded what the response was.

“Memories” he quickly said with a concerned tune. “She’s feeding them with memories”

“Ok this is the moment you explain what’s going on” Ellen inquired behind him. Aiden turned around, his face said everything.

“What attacked us was a Memomorph; they come from the void between dimensions. They can make more of themselves by feeding from intense memories; one had to escape our last encounter when…” He began to theorize.

“No. I didn’t refer that. Thanks for the valuable info, but I meant something else” Ellen interrupted him. “I mean,… Why did you get into all of this? I know the Pines had their adventures and stuff but this seems to going after you too”

“El, I know I promised it but right now I don’t think we really have the enough – “

“Try it” Ellen said, getting real serious. “Look, I know that thing will get in anytime but this time I feel big chances for one of us to get killed for something stupid I could do not having the whole picture. Please, I need the whole picture”. She had never been that stern to him unless she was scared about something, so he knew this time there was no chance to wait for this to get done. She needed it, right now.

Aiden sighed; it had to be a really good briefing to get out of this alive.

“Something happened to the universe…”

“SO! That were you!” A familiar, feminine voice interrupted them. They turned around to see; the fake Mason was on the opposite side of the monticule, back on her human form. “I’m joking, I knew it a long ago; all of you have been connected for weeks. I know _eeeeverything_ about everyone” She said on a singing tune. “You weren’t going to say to her everything, were you? I know the inhibitions of your species; do you seriously think she’ll get the dirty secret they have…?”

“Shut up. That’s mine to tell to her” Aiden said.

“I get that’s you want. Some sessions of sexual intercourse and meaningless, infinite speeches and you are her unconditional slave! You humans are so pathetic” the fake Mason tempted him.

“Rude words for someone trying to make a family for yourself” Ellen defended. “ This is a nest, isn’t it? One doesn’t get that annoying unless you touch a weak spot”

“You know nothing about me” The fake Mason said angrily “but I know everything about you. And I know you can’t with the truth, he didn’t stand the truth in first place” She said with a mocking expression. “Tell her Aiden, tell her how you got in all of this. Tell her what you were going to…”

“Stop” Aiden interrupted dartingly.

“There you have your weak spot, Ellen-zellen” the fake Mason said with disdain. The fake Mason walked slowly towards the eggs; some of them with various items on them. “I am the last of my species, or at least I’ll stop from being it. You can’t know how much I’ve fought for this chance and I’ll not let you to hurt my children”

“I know what your kind feeds on. I’m sorry for what happened with Bill and your home, but you can’t just take what you want ‘cause you’re angry”

“You’re just like him, pathetic and coward. I have no remorse in save my kind; I’m on a much nobler crusade than yours. No rewriting of the universe can undo what you…” She began to taunt him again, when she suddenly raised her head. “Oh no, you DON’T!” She said with rage, instantly turning into her true form, and flapping furiously her wings, she flew away thru the hole.

Ellen turned her attention to Aiden; whatever what the being said was enough to let him out of combat. This time, it was her turn to hold him up.

“Aiden…” She said as she took his shoulder.

“Why did she leave her nest with us inside?” Aiden interrupted.

_Ok, maybe he’s right; stuff now, answers later._

Ellen figured some random theory, and at the moment, she turned around and hit one of the eggs with the meter as hard as she could. The meter turned into pieces on a violent spark, Ellen quickly dropping the piece of it still on her hand in a terrified expression.

“We’re going to need a bigger meter” She said…

-

Hough ran across the dark corridors with his sword on hand; it was a luck it could also shrink if Hough needed it (He was pondering if an instructive paper was hard to get on the Netherworld). He tried to spot the number of the classroom at some place of the wide building; he couldn’t miss the classroom Ellen instructed him to go… until he did.

“Oh heck, where it was…?” He said to himself, stopping his run.

Being fair, he tended to loss in his way to almost every class in which he went on her entire school life.

“Ellen whyyy? You know I’m always get lost on…”

A bright spark in middle of the air distracted him from his thoughts, he quickly turning around and raising the Ghostly Sword, ready to pick up a fight. From the black, fleshy borders of the mesmerizing bright, pair of greyish hands peeped out from the shiny formation in the air, and like a mass of flesh, a man on cape fell to the ground, heavily rising himself from the cold floor. He quickly spotted Hough, sighing with disappointment.

“Hell that was slow” The grayish young man said to himself. “Quickly! Human, what this day is?”

“Ehmm…” Hough began to stammer, trying to ignore the fact that besides his cape, the glassy man was completely naked. “This is the graduation party –“

“Damn it!” The grayish young man swore aloud. “Wait. You wear a Ghostly Sword, forged in the flares of the Ghid’ah; you… you are Hough, right?” He said, pointing at him. Hough put his sword even closer to his body, even more weirded than before. “Do you know where Aiden is?”

“I –I was – I think he’s with Ellen, they called for help…”

“We must find him now. This universe is on the verge of destruction…”

-

Aiden and Ellen ran out of the classroom; it was sure the memomorph would go for Hough, and none of them was sure he could match the fight. Even with no weapons at all, both were sure they could help with anything.

“Damn I knew he couldn’t find the classroom... He always missed Algebra!” Ellen said angrily, trying to keep her breath. Make a second despaired run across the school was even less funny than she remembered; in her rushes with Mabel it wasn’t her the one winning.

“Ok, I got it…” Aiden said with a big smile, and took Ellen’s hips, raising her and resting her on his shoulders.

“Hey! I can run for myself…!” Ellen angrily protested.

“No time, Girlfriend, I need to speed up” Aiden said happily.

“Turn to left! That’s where he tends to lose” Ellen pointed, even knowing Aiden couldn’t see her hand.

“Left!” Aiden said automatically as he sprinted to said direction…

-

The greyish young man fell erected on the glassy floor , giving a pair of steps inside.

“This is the nest” He said to himself.

“Aaaaah!” Hough screamed, falling from the hole behind the greyish young man. His body hit the floor on a noisy thud. A little pained, he stood on his feet, slapping his suit despite there as no dust around, when he looked where they had fallen. “Holy cannoli” Hough pronounced with seriousness, at the sight of the monticule of eggs. “This is the universal menace you talked about?”

“No. I feel no connection coming from these eggs. If they’re not the source so the menace is what wants laid the eggs. We need to expel them from this dimension sooner than latter” the grayish young man said with stern tune.

“That seems helpful” Hough pointed at one of the items over the egg.

He walked towards the pile and took it; it was a strange type of weapon. It seemed like some sort of ancient gun, with an enormous bulb in front.

“Oh right, I don’t know what is doing that here but It can help” The grayish young man inferred with serious optimism. 

“Good. What do you suggest?” Hough asked.

“What about to die?” A feminine voice behind Hough interrupted them.

Cold as a spear, A sharp object passed trough Hough’s back, cutting his spine at half. Prey of an unmeasurable pain, the teenager dropped his sword and the gun at the time the one who stabbed him slipped away and his dying body fell on the greyish young man’s hands,

“No!” The greyish young man yelled, quickly taking the metallic object inside his body and throwing it away. “Keep awake Hough, this will not hurt” the young man said, putting Hough on the floor. A soothing shine surrounded his body as the greyish young man put his hands on his tummy.

“Try to not ruin the suit, it is rented” Hough said with weak voice to just after throw a chuckle, feeling his maimed innards to go back in place. “Where is the sword?” He instantly asked in worry.

Both men raised their heads to see the fake Mason, holding the Ghostly Sword between her hands.

“Heck” The grayish young man cursed once more. He turned his attention to the fake Mason, and instantly felt the psychic bulk around her; she was the menace.

“It seems like he can’t do anything alone, and now you’re here” the fake Mason disdained.

“You must stop this, you’re attracting a Swimmer!” the grayish young man warned aloud, but she wasn’t paying any attention.

The fake Mason, with sword and gun on hands, began to glow; mix ghost tech with extradimensional beasts was sure a bad deal to fight with. 

“This… SO much power in my veins oh yes!... And you… YOU WON’T HURT MY CHILDREN!!!!” the fake Mason yelled, and swigged the sword towards the glassy floor.

The sword got its point inside the glassy floor, an ominous wind blowing aloud around them. The glassy walls around them disappeared like an illusion, and as the fake Mason was lifted in the air, a pinkish mist whirled around the nest with fiery energy.

“NO, NOOO!” the fake Mason screamed, feeling how her hand slipped from her hands. The powerful winds were too strong even for her new power, and she finally was blew away far from the nest at the sight of her new foes.

“You got to handle it with both hands, idiot!” Hough shouted with ironic joy. The grayish man didn’t hold the noisy chuckle that came out of him that moment; even frail and oblivious, this boy had all the vibes of a hero.

Just then, his wound healed, and he helped him to get up again, them now looking at her new environment. Hough walked quickly to the sword and freed it from the floor, turning around to face his glassy nude comrade.

“She warped the school; like this we’ll never catch her. I will –“

“Wait. I have an idea” the grayish young man interrupted…

-

The fake Mason fell over the hard floor, her body making a violent seizure as she tried quickly to get up, the gun on her hand slipping away on the floor. Her feet reached the ground, and she stood towards the direction in which the winds had blew her up.

“No… No!” She screamed, taking her hands to her face, making them into fists. “My babies” She shouted in despair.

She knew for sure he had already destroyed her eggs, she felt her connection with them to break down right now like untied cables. All her work, all her sacrifice, wasted and lost forever. She got her fists out of her hands, walked a few steps from there and bent down to take the gun she had dropped on the ground, putting it on the belt of her human shell. It was no sorrow what laid on her face anymore. It was a potent frown of pure rage…

-

“Almost there!” Aiden yelled triumphantly, hoping to find Hough in the dark corridor just turning to right “Here we go, Hough…! Oh no”

Hough, or anyone at all was on the corridor. Aiden quickly let Ellen to slip from his body to the floor, as he looked at the shiny, semi-organic portal in middle of the corridor. Ellen, her feet finally back to the ground, turned to see it, more intrigued than worried this time.

‘What is that?” Ellen asked.

“A dimensional portal. Beyond it there is The Void. The wasteland between realities” Aiden answered.

“Is this how that thing came here?” Ellen asked without turning to see him; the shape of the rift was something near to be beautiful to see but at the same time just look away was too scary to ever think about it.

“I doubt it. I’ve only seen one person to do that kind of portals. If he’s here that means –“

Right then, the entire corridor unfolded itself like a low-budget animation, and the walls and floor flew away, everything going into a neon-pinkish horizon akin to the nest’s walls. Aiden and Ellen looked around with incredulous expressions, fearing the worst.

“I must guess Hough lost the sword” Ellen appointed.

“I fear that’s a good explanation” Aiden reassured. “Ok, back to the beg – Argh!”

A heavy object pushed him several feet away, him rolling on the ground. He quickly raised his head, and saw motionless how the fake Mason threw Ellen away with a single furious slap, to just after walk towards him.

“You couldn’t resist your urges to call for help, did you?!” The fake Mason yelled. “Of course! You cannot do anything for yourself!” She shouted vigorously, kicking his chest. Aiden felt the sharply pain of some of his ribs breaking inside him, and didn’t hold the scream that sprouted from his chest. “I lost my children… I lost everything!”

Ellen , still on the floor, raised her head, seeing how the fake Mason was torturing Aiden. She turned to see everywhere, there had to be something she could to to help him.

_Oh no oh no oh no… got it!_

“DO yo u serious believed you were the hero of this story?! You didn’t save the universe, you didn’t save your friends from the ghost; you didn’t even a goddamn date for yourself!” she said again, pressing her blue boot over his chest, a malign smile growing on her face as she heard his ribs cracking under the fierce push of her human foot. “You’re just a pity, useless boy who thinks that has the world on his shoulders but is just guarding the birthplace of a loathsome little girl and a _stupid happy life_ for the deviants her parents are!”

Aiden tried desperately to breath, to hold his hurt and try to get the beast away from him, but she was much stronger than him, and some part in the bottom of his mind had enough guilt to drain away his will. She was going to crush him anytime.

“I’m going to take everything from you, I swear I will –“

“Hey you! You dropped this!” Ellen’s voice interrupted her. The fake Mason turned her head inhumanly to see, Aiden looking at her with the memory gun on her hands, a weak smile having the enough forces to come out. “You should get better pockets” Ellen said, the head of the fake Mason in the gun sight.

The fake Mason darted her eyes, and against all of her urges, all she pained right now, she had still the duty of live. She took her boot away from Aiden’s chest and stood in front of him with defiance.

“Now, get away from him, or I’ll… zap you with this” Ellen tried to menace her, the fake Mason grinning instead.

“You don’t know what that does, do you?” She asked with a taunting voice.

“I know you fear it; that’s enough for me” Ellen reassured. “I must guess you didn’t hold the ghost sword when you made the space-widening. Hough got us lost inside his house an entire noon for the same mistake, it was very fun indeed” 

“You won’t live another noon to have fun again. You have NO enough nerve to shoot me, puny schoolgirl”

“Now you’re using Dipper’s words. Nice. Did you know something else about him?” Ellen asked with brave tune.

“What?”

“He always misses the world around him when he’s hyped. Now, Hough!”

The fake Mason turned around fast, but it was too late. Hough was standing behind her along the greyish young man, and raised the Ghostly Sword. A strong wind pulled her towards the portal as it widened, and revealed what lay beyond the realm of the Men. A noisy grunting echoed inside the shrinking Infinite; something was coming.

“Everyone, close your eyes!” the grayish young man shouted, so they did it.

“No.. NO!! NOT THEM!!!” The fake Mason shouted, as everything around them turned darker, and her body was pushed towards the untampered abysses of the Eternity. Beyond the portal, a bluish beast, bigger and more complex than the human nor Memomorph eye could possibly bear, opened its flower-like mouth, revealing an horizon of teeth and black, bloody gums. The fake Mason went back to her true form in a desperate attempt to fly away, but it was already late, she was straight into the mouth of the beast.

_I’m sorry, my babies._

She closed her beastly eyes once for all, and finally surrendered to her fate.

_BRUUUUUUUUUUUHM…!_

The windy noise on everyone’s ears ceased at last, so they judged safe to open them. The dark corridor was back, squared floor and flickering lamps above them. The portal was still there too, leaving to pass still a fading grunt of the beast beyond it. Hough sighed; they were sure close this time.

“Ok, that was totally worth of the trouble” He said with merry irony.

The grayish young man turned around and saw Aiden, still on the floor. His agonic face said everything, he had also made his fight. The grayish young man walked towards him and kneeled, tenderly putting his hands on his friend’s chest. Aiden began to glow, as he felt how his wounds disappeared from his flesh and his bones were slowly going back in place.

“You came” Aiden said happily, his voice still weak.

“I had a long absence I must guess. I’m sorry” the grayish young man apologized. “If it helps I have to find out what I’m going to do with one hundred twenty five eggs of Memomorph” he jokingly said, uncovering a part of his cape to reveal the dozens of eggs inside a dimensional pocket.

“You…?”

“I don’t kill babies, Aids. That’s my code” the grayish young man said with compelled pride.

“Why did you came back?” Aiden asked with more seriousness.

“There was a strong telepathic trail coming from this universe. It attracted a Swimmer”

“I’ll guess that’s another of the things you must stop”

“Swimmers are primordial beasts, the whales of the Multiversal Sea. The one I tried to stop was a youngling, but was big enough to flatten the entire galaxy if it had the chance to get inside”

“Oh… Good to know it didn’t” Aiden said within a weak chuckle. The grayish young man chuckled as well, to just after give Aiden an apologetic glance. Bad news were on the way.

“I’ll have to go, Aiden. Away. Something is coming, and is making all of the surviving beasts out there to fly away in fear on this direction. If I want to keep this universe safe I must learn what is coming for you all”

“But… What if something else comes?” Aiden asked with worry. The grayish young man smiled; he knew and felt Aiden was more worried about him to go away than the real menaces, few people could know loneliness among faceless crowds as he did.

“I see you got a very good team to fight back” He said proudly, turning to see Ellen. She was standing along Hough, him having a hand on her shoulder. “She’s smart” the young man said as he turned his head back to him. “I feel she can be trusted. You could have someone else to share the secrets” He said hopeful.

“Do you mean –” Aiden said with hopeful tune. The grayish young man smiled, at the moment Aiden’s body ceased to shine. He felt his back being pulled up as the grayish young man stood up.

“I believe she’s not going anywhere, anyway” He said back. Before he could be aware of, He was standing back on his shoes, and Ellen running to hug him tightly.

“I think I have to expl –“

“Shut up. Just shut up… it’s ok” Ellen interrupted him. Her sigh right then said everything; she was scared for him.

The young man walked towards the portal, turning around to say goodbye to his new and his old friend.

“Well, that was a good adventure I guess. Will we see ya again?” Hough asked.

“Sure! I feel you’ll be a good pal. Take care of them, they tend to get in trouble” The grayish young man said as he pointed at the hugging couple with a thumb, causing both to chuckle.

Aiden and Ellen untangled their hug to face the young man, he looking at them with hope.

“Please try to not be too embarrassing when you tell her about me. I have a reputation to keep on check” The grayish young man said with joy.

“I’ll try” Aiden said with a sad smile.

“Goodbye, Aiden” The grayish young man said.

The glassy _chevalier_ walked inside the portal, it’s blackish flesh healing as it disappeared in thin air.

The Knight of the Oblivion had gone for good.

Hough turned to his friends with a smile of expressed realization; it was sure he wasn’t going to make too many questions.

“You should introduce to your friends from other dimensions someday, Aids” Hough said.

“Someday; they don’t show up unless it is a life-or-death stuff” Aiden said back with irony.

“Well, time to go back to the dance floor; I almost get killed tonight and there’s a handsome man waiting for me…” Hough began to say as the sword on his hand shrank and he began to walk thru the corridor.

“Go ahead, we’ll catch you there” Aiden said with a peaceful tune. “Oh! It’s on the other way” he also pointed.

Hough looked at him with stern disdain and changed his direction. “Ok. See ya later, guys!”

Hough walked back to the party; hopefully he wasn’t going to get lost (again). Finally alone, Ellen turned to see Aiden again; after watching how a monster in the suit of a girl almost squished to death, she was more than sure she needed to know what happened. Aiden sat, recharging himself on a locker door, recharging his arms on the knees as he sighed. He had a lot to talk about.

“I’ll guess it will be a long story” Ellen reassured as she sat along him.

“I can skip the most of it, the basics are much less complex” He said with some sense of defeat.

“It’s ok, I can listen the rest later” Ellen said back. Details could wait, now she needed to know the main truth.

Aiden sighed again, his eyes lost on the abyss, his frown tense and trembling. He couldn’t believe he was going to do it, still with her along him and all the time and space he needed to tell her.

“Before I tell you I need you to keep in mind that… despite everything they’re our friends, and they love us. Please, keep it on mind, I’ve seen how bad people reacts, and I can’t even begin to imagine how you could react knowing I know that…” Aiden began. His heart began to pump faster, his lungs to feel heavier; the thrill was overwhelming.

“I listen” Ellen reassured with soft tune. Nothing could be that bad to her to instantly freak out…

“Ok. Here I go. The Pines… Mabel… Oh heck, Tyrone is Dipper” He admitted almost in hurry.

“… Wait, what?” Ellen asked the most confused she could feel right now.

“Yeah he is, he’s using a perception filter, that’s why he looks so weird” Aiden continued, his voice getting deeper and raspier.

“That cant’ be – I mean, they’ve been with us all the night. They had been all romantic and smooch and corny and if that’s true that means that…”

She turned to be hit with Aiden’s glance of fearful reassurance. He was being disturbingly true in his words.

“Oh… f*ck. Oh f*ck!” Ellen said aloud, her surprise and confusion having not space to be held in. But after all, she couldn’t stop looking at Aiden’s fearful face, his fright growing at every word she pronounced. The rest of the _f*cks_ had to be strictly mental.

“Please keep what I said they’re our friends no matter what, ok? Good friends, among our best friends… please” Aiden reassured with hurry, resting one of his hands on Ellen’s knee. He couldn’t take away the idea of Ellen reacting as the twins’ parents did when they were hit with the truth.

In any other person Ellen could easily give herself the freedom to go riot and begin to express her yikes about it in the most effusive and offensive ways right now… But then a heavy ration of memories of what the Pines twins had done for her fell on the ground of her mind. Reject their truth right now was to imply that everything they had done for her, for them, for everyone, was wrong. And with all the hecky and wonderful year she had lived thanks to them, the wonderful and so bountiful man she had at her side, standing and understanding, right now she knew there was something she needed to change, that she couldn’t just deny that spark they had and shared with everyone around them. The true had to mean something else than the immediate and the easily suggestable. The true had to be more than that…

Ellen’s silence prolonged. A worry pair of minutes. Her face passed across yikes, rage, confusion, betrayal, mental crash, slow mental rebuilding, negotiation, reflection, and at last… acceptance. A peaceful and quite sorrowful acceptance. Ellen Collins made her entire way to accept her friends, and she had made it very well (closer people couldn’t tell the same at all).

Finally, she sighed.

“… So, you’re protecting them, right? I mean, you’re… taking care of their secret” Ellen said. Right now, she was thinking in how heavy was for them to take care of such easily destructive truth, the sole stress and worry for them; it couldn’t get any worse.

“I remember we’re called _allies_ ; I’ve made my research” Aiden said back with a smile slowly showing itself. The hardest part to chew had passed. Now he had to tell her about the rest.

“Who else knows about this?” Ellen asked.

“Not too many. I know, their parents too. I was there when they came out and was a disaster, whoa the mess that happened, I swear I thought I was going to get killed that night” Aiden asserted with a straight tune and a brief chuckle. “Their great-uncles also know, they took it much better I have to say. Also a couple of friends back in Gravity Falls; all I know about them is that there’s a squishing hug waiting for me in Oregon” he reassured.

“Wow… All of them trust you here, don’t they?” Ellen inquired. “Keep them safe here in school and with our friends”

“Yeah…” Aiden said tenderly and warm. “They do… And that’s not even the worst part”

Ellen’s eyes widened. It couldn’t possibly get any worse… until she remembered the whole ordeal of si-fi matters around the secret.

The man with glassy skin…. He looked much like Dipper.

“What’s the worst part?”

Aiden closed his eyes. The memories of the twins’ bodies on the pyre, of Cassie holding him from fall into the Time Vortex, of Darlene charring to death, all came together at once.

“What… what I told you what happens to the universe, it has to do with them” Aiden said, opening his eyes again; he looked so scared again and all Ellen wanted was to know for once and hug him tight. “They’ll have a family, on the future. But… something happened, and what happened triggered a whole ordeal of chaos and being short the entire universe was almost wiped out. And I am the only one who remembers. Reality changed, things appeared. The world I knew hadn’t Godzilla or the titans or all of that. More or less this is the first year I’ve lived in… this mess of new timeline” Aiden said to just after throw a brief chuckle. “And… well… One of their children gave out his life to save it. The man that just showed up, that’s him, that’s why I remember. If something happened, if something could come back I had to tell him. But…”

“But..?”

“At first I just looked after them from the distance, keep the appearances. Heh, even before know why I remembered all I was taking care of those dorks…” He said with another sorrowful chuckle. “Their other child, their daughter, she is still on the timeline, she’s still going to born. So I decided to look after them so she could exist but then… Well, you know what happened after I punched Lance last year”

“Yeah” Ellen remembered with subtle sadness.

“They took care of me and helped me to get up again in so many freaking ways and they don’t even know what I’m doing for them and I – I feel I betrayed them ‘cause they’ll never know what they’ve lost…”

Aiden stopped. A long, noisy sniff tried almost in vain to hold the sobs coming out of that sole idea; but it was useless. It had been so long ago, and he had really never put what he was doing in words. To say it, to give it a place in the world, to making to feel true and palpable and consequential, was just too much. He covered his mouth with his hand as what tried to be sobs turned into long, cracked breaths.

But then Ellen twirled around herself and trapped him between her arms, her cheek pressing on his head an her chin on his shoulder; time to put in practice the improvised hugging lessons Mabel gave her some strange noon. She stayed there, still and tight, trying to use her warm to take away his guilt. She could feel the breaths stacking on his chest, and she wasn’t more compelled to make him to feel better. She was there, for him, right now.

Slow but sure, his breaths slowed down and he was able to wrap her around his own arms. He breathed on her hair, and she felt how he smiled over her neck. He was safe now, the man who cared about everyone could feel cared about for once.

Ellen closed her eyes in relieve; he was better now

“You were too cheap, you know?” Ellen suddenly said.

“What?” Aiden asked, totally confused, his voice still a little cracked.

“Yeah. I mean you’re basically the Pines’ cosmic squire and I bargained our first date for the pic of a pterodactyl…” She said, with irony, her voice cracking to loud laughs.

Aiden chuckled hard as well, she was totally right.

“Oh god… oh god that’s true!” Aiden yelled, his laughs getting noisier and higher.

“Heck, at least they would’ve paid the dinner!” Ellen shouted as well in middle of their laughs.

Their shared laugh slowly calmed down, and Ellen moved a little away to face her boyfriend. She looked into his warm eyes, and knew it; there he was, the true Aiden, the unknown for everyone in universe except her, the man behind the great men (and yarny women, for addition) who had a bright spark for himself. They shared the glance for a moment, putting the promise on their hearts and a smile on their faces.

“Well” Ellen interrupted. “There’s still a party out there”

“Yeah, you’re right” Aiden reassured smiley. “I wonder what they were doing while we weren’t here…”

  * Back in the party, a few minutes after.



“I can’t believe it!” Ellen exclaimed with bewilderment, pointing at them with her arms. “Are they – Are they sleeping?! They’re sleeping!”

They were there, Mabel and “Tyrone” snoring low over a pair of chairs, Mabel’s head resting on “Tyrone”’s chest. How were they asleep despite the noise could only be explained by the natural ability of the Pines to nap in the most unexpected places, and Aiden and Ellen could not be more impressed for that.

“Well, Stan was right. Pines family’s napping is legendary” Aiden said, bursting in laughs for a moment. “We’ll have to wait to go back home; are you up for another karaoke time?”. Ellen turned her head to catch his glance with conspiring eyes.

“Don’t say it twice, Boyfriend” she said, to next turn around and walk towards the dancefloor. “Bring some microphones, Kathy!” She yelled, as Aiden looked at her.

“You crazy girl…” He said with amusement as he followed Ellen towards the dance floor…

Then they sang, hard and aloud; the force of the lyrics and the pillar-solid voices coming wildly from their throats. Sweaty, ravenous, untempered, Ellen and Aiden sang aloud their song, the song meant to mean their love, what was going on with them, fingers tightly on the microphone as if those were lifesavers, their arms dancing for them as they orchestrated what looked like a choreography with their inviting movements and the signaling they made each other.

It said everything; the odd and completely improvised way they synchronized their singing on the lyrics and when they sang along to give the words even greater force. They were hungry for the world like ferocious and aroused MUTOs; they were running towards the future with strong and severe steps to raise dust and level everything to the floor.

They were, on short terms, complete and madly in love, and the world was going to hear them sing…

  * Around an hour later…



The road was silent, they were not still able to turn the radio and pick something, on their chests was still the heart of their concert, every few seconds they exchanged naughty glances of compelling.

It was a lucky Henry and Dave helped to put the Pines on the backseats, they were just not waking up even with the noise and Ellen and Aiden were just to elated to summon the enough straightness to hold them for themselves.

What happened that night was alive on their minds and hearts, not meant to be told, not meant to be denied. Even in the thrill, they felt the force of their promise, something they had only listened from others (Aiden more frequently; the twins had found delight in be able to talk about it with someone else) They were there each for the other and with the other, screws well put on the machinery.

If that wasn’t love, they had no idea what it was.

But maybe they felt they needed a quite of concentration on the road to reach the Pines household and take the twins back. After they could pick a place, and devour each other.

“DO you think we should say them I know now?” Ellen suddenly suggested.

“It… it could be hard to explain. Suggestions?” Aiden said back, his eyes still on the road. Ellen smiled malignantly and turned on the radio, picking a perfect song for the chance and setting the dials to play it at full volume.

“How about this…?”

Mabel and Tyrone’s eyes opened wide, their bodies jumping in fright as they heard the guitar playing on the van’s megaphones.

Those crazy teens had definitively the party still inside them.

_There is a secret that we keep_

_I won't sleep if you won't sleep_

_Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given_

_We are compelled to do what we must do_

_We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden…_

_The End_


End file.
